Alone, But Not Abandoned
by livelovelast
Summary: JATE AU. When Jack boarded the plane, he ended up sitting next to Kate and the marshal. When they crashed, he and Kate were stranded away from the other survivors. What happens when they are left to fend for themselves?
1. Seating Arrangements

So here it is. My next jate fic. This is going to be alot different from my last one, mainly being that it's on the island, and they're alone. Kind of. Not in this chapter. And they will eventually find people. I won't give away who. Anway, I've never written a continuing on-island story, so let me know if I'm doing a horrible job. I think I'll be okay though, since I have an idea of where this story is going. Unlike my last one, where I literally made it up as I went along. ;) So, let me know what you think!

* * *

_Cause all we know, is falling it falls _

_And remember cause I know that _

_we won't forget, at all _

_-__Paramore, All We Know _

Jack Shepard stood in line, impatiently checking his watch. This was taking too long; he was going to miss his flight. He _couldn't_ miss this flight. He needed to get home, bury his father, and get on with his life.

"No, miss, I don't think you understand," said the man in front of him, speaking to the flight attendant. "We need to get on this flight, and if that's a problem, I'll take it up with the guy in charge." The woman next to him cringed. It was then that Jack noticed she was wearing handcuffs. She was holding her hands at an angle to attempt to hide them, but wasn't succeeding.

The attendant behind the desk sighed. "Let me see. There's a few open seats in first class, but that's going to cost more."

"Did you hear that, Katie? First class, bet you've never flown first class before." The man who Jack figured to be a marshall let out a mocking laugh, and the woman stared determinedly in the other direction. "We'll take it."

They walked off towards the terminal, and out of Jack's mind. He had other things to worry about.

"There's been a problem with the seating," said the worn out flight attendant. "We're going to have to move you to first class. I'm sorry if that's an inconvienince."

"Fine," Jack agreed. After a brief misunderstanding about his father's body, the flight attendant handed him a ticket.

He sat in an uncomfortable airport chair, impatiently waiting to board. He glanced at his ticket. Flight 815. Jack wasn't looking forward to the long flight ahead of him. Maybe he'd just have a few drinks and sleep most of the way.

"Now boarding Oceanic 815, first class." The voice rang over the speaker, and Jack stood eagerly from his seat. Standing in yet another line, he waited to be let onto the plane. The line passed quickly, and he was soon inside, waiting for take-off.

He helped an older woman lift her suitcase into the compartment, then took his seat. It was in a row of three, the middle seat in. He sat back, hoping he wouldn't have annoying company.

He barely contained a groan at seeing the marshall and the criminal walk up to his row. "Excuse me," said the marshall, "But would you mind moving down a seat? It would be in both of our best intrests if I was sitting next to her."

"Yeah, sure," Jack said absently. He moved over, re-adjusting into his new seat. It would be easier to flag down the flight attendant for a drink if he was sitting in the aisle, he noticed.

The marshall wasn't done. "Do you mind if she takes the middle seat? I'd like to keep her in the between us, less chance of her taking off," he let out a laugh at the woman's expense. "She won't hurt you, don't worry about that. No matches in sight." He laughed again, and the woman winced.

"No problem." He couldn't help but wonder what this small, seemingly gentle woman had done to deserve this treatment. He also couldn't stop himself from from noticing that she was very attractive. On closer inspection, he thought he saw her look him over as well, but she quickly glanced away.

The first few hours of the flight passed uneventfully, but Jack couldn't help but overhear the marshall's numerous attemps at talking to the woman beside him.

"Come on now, Kate," he pestered her. "Don't you think you're taking the right to remain silent a little too literally?"

The brunette rolled her eyes, the closest to a response he had managed to get from her. The marshall sighed and slumped back into his seat, though Jack was sure he'd be at it again shortly.

He wasn't dissapointed, as ten minutes later the marshall resumed his tactics. Jack could see that he was trying to get a rise out of the woman, and he wondered vaguely if it would ever work.

He spotted the flight attendant coming down the aisle, and moved to flag her down, not for the first time. She nodded at him, indicating she'd be over shortly.

It was at that moment that the plane began to hit turbulence, causing the flight attendant to stumble, then regain her balance, and the marshall to stop mid-sentence.

"Please fasten your seatbelts," the pilot's voice rang out. "We've just hit a bit of turbulence, but we should be through it in no time."

The plane continued to shake, but that wasn't what suprised Jack. He had heard a female voice to his left, and was suprised to see the woman in handcuffs talking to the marshall.

"I have a favor to ask," she began,her voice suprisingly calm. Jack thought this was an odd first statement.

"This ought to be good," the marshall laughed. "What could you possibly-," he was cut off suddenly by a tremendous shake of the plane, and a suitcase flying on to his head, knocking him unconscious.

Jack saw the woman's eyes widen, glancing over at him. "Shit," she muttered.

"Hey, let me look at him, I'm a doctor," he told her. "See if you can get the flight attendant over here," She nodded, standing quickly so they could switch seats. He unbuckled his seat belt, but was quickly forced back into his seat by the sudden bump. He wasn't the only one affected, as the woman fell right into his lap.

"Sorry!" she exclaimed, blushing furiously. He smiled at her, trying to reasure her. "It's okay." She struggled to get up, not being able to use her hands. He gingerly grabbed her wrists, trying to help her up.

"Excuse me!" came the shocked flight attendant. Cindy, her name tag read. Her eyes were wide in shock at seeing their current position. "What's going on? You're supposed to have your seatbelts on and, oh my.. what happened to him?"

She had seen the marshall. Jack helped the woman off him, and they succeeded in switching seats. "A suitcase fell on him after a bump. I'm a doctor, and I'm trying to see if there's anything I can do."

"I'll go get the first-aid kit," Cindy replied hastily.

He noticed the woman beside him sneaking glances in his direction. "Is he going to be okay?" she asked.

"I think so," Jack replied. "There doesn't seem to be too much damage." He continued examining the large gash across the marshall's forehead. "Nothing a few stitches won't fix when we land."

She nodded, and he wasn't sure whether she was relieved or dissapointed. He couldn't help wondering if it was the latter. If he was hurt, she could try to escape. He quickly shook the thought from his head. The marshall was unconsious now, and she wasn't trying anything. What would she do anyway, thousands of feet off the ground?

As he peered over the woman to check for the flight attendant, the plane started shaking violently. Jack sat back in his seat, holding onto the arm rests. The woman beside him did the same, accidentally brushing his hand. She quickly pulled away.

Both their eyes widened as the oxygen masks fell from over head. They fumbled to put theirs on, then Jack secured one over the marshall's mouth. He distantly heard the pilot's voice over the intercom, telling them to remain calm. It was the last thing he could remember listening to before, with one final lurch of the plane, everything went black.

* * *

Next up: What happens when Jack and Kate wake up in the jungle? How will they react to being alone together? And, most importantly, will they ever learn each other's names :) 

The song lyrics at the beginning of chapters are basically to show what's coming up (no matter how abstract they may be). I always hear songs that remind me of jate, so instead of writing abunch of song fics, I decided to do this!

I'd really love it if you reviewed, let me know if this is worth continuing! thanks.


	2. Standing On Solid Ground

Thanks to all of you who reviewed, and even those who put this on their alerts. Don't hesitate to review as well!

This chapter has a little more jate interaction. I couldn't resist putting in so much of the marshall last chapter, because his relationship with Kate always interested me. But, no more of him. Just some good old Jack and Kate for a while. ;)

* * *

_The sky glows_

_I see it shining when my eyes close_

_I hear your warnings but we both know_

_I'm gonna look at it again_

_- Dashboard Confessional, Don't Wait_

Jack's eyelids fluttered as he struggled to stay conscious. He wasn't sure how long he had been out, but he could tell that the plane had stopped moving. He figured he must have fallen asleep, though he couldn't remember when.

But when his eye's finally remained open,he didn't see theback of an airplane chair. He was instead met with the sight of trees, and a vast blue sky. He started to sit up, but groaned in pain. Reaching for his aching shoulder, he could feel that it had been dislocated.

He struggled to his feet, wincing as he stood up. Now he could see the full picture, everything that was happening around him. He was suprised that it wasn't much. 

He was standing in a clearing, surrounded by toweringtrees. Glancing quickly around, he realized he was alone. The dullness he had felt upon first waking up was evaporating, and the fear was starting to kick in.

He thought he heard something in the distance, so he headed in that general direction. As he got closer, he was sure of it. A quiet cry of pain was coming from his left, and he picked up his pace to get closer.

As he entered a clearing, he stopped dead in his tracks. The sight that greeted him was as amazing as it was horrifying. The entire front of the plane, the cockpit and first class, was sitting before his eyes. What was even stranger was that the rest of it was missing.

He finally remembered what he was doing here. The turbulence, the shaking, the pilot's announcement, it all came back to him. His thoughts were interuppted by the cry of pain, and he came back to reality.

Following the noise, he was led to the side of the plane. Finally, he found the source. The brunnette who had been seated next to him was curled up in a ball, grasping her leg.

"Hey," he said quietly, so as not to startle her. He wasn't successful, and she jumped, but settled back down at seeing him.

"Hi," she replied softly. His eyes travled to her leg, and he noticed that the material of her pants was soaked with blood.

"Are you okay?" he asked, concern taking over. She bit her lip, nodding. He moved closer to her. "Do you mind if I take a look. I'm a doctor, remember?"

"Yeah," she replied. "I guess it must have been scratched by something when we crashed."

Using his uninjured arm, he started to examine her wound. It was indeed a scratch, deeper and longer than he would have liked.

"It's not great," he told her, "But you should be okay." He accidentally moved at an odd angle, irritating his shoulder. He grimaced in pain, his hand flying instinctively to the wound.

"What's wrong with your shoulder?" she asked, one of her hands moving towards it. It was then that Jack noticed the handcuffs were gone. They must have somehow come off in the crash.

"I think it's dislocated," he admitted. "Do you mind..," he trailed off, unsure of how to ask her.

"What?" she asked, "You mean, pop it back in?" Her eyes widened, but she nodded. "Uh, yeah, just tell me how."

Jack instructed her on the procedure, letting out a yell when she pulled on the arm, securing the shoulder back in place.

"Sorry," she said, hearing his cry of pain. "Did I do it wrong?"

"No, it was perfect," he assured her. "It just hurts at first." Seeing that her leg was still bleeding profusely, he went to take another look. "I'm going to need to wrap this in something to stop the bleeding."

"Okay," she agreed. She cast a look around them. "But what?"

"I guess some kind of clothing will have to do for now," Jack told her. "There's probably something we can use on the plane."

They both turned to look at the broken front of the plane. It hadn't escaped either of their minds that they were the only ones out there, and neither was thrilled to find what was waiting for them inside.

"There's probably a bunch of suitcases. We might find something evenbetter if we're lucky," he went on, dreading the thought of going inside.

"Yeah," she agreed with him. "Let's go."

The piece of the plane was standing at an angle, making it difficult for them to keep their footing. As they climbed higher, they finally discovered the fate of the other passengers. Cold, unmoving bodies were scattered across the seats, not one of them breathing. Jack felt a chill go down his spine.

His shoulder ached from the climb, and he could tell that the woman's leg wasn't making this easy for her. Wanting to end this as soon as possible, he opened the first overhead compartment he came across. "Grab a suitcase," he told her, grasping one of his own.

Both with suitcases in hand, they made their way down, letting out a sigh of relief when they exited the plane. Dropping the suitcases on the ground, they dug through them eagerly.

While they picked out useful items, it struck Jack that he still didn't know the woman's name. He vaguely remembered the marshall calling her something, but after all that had happened he couldn't recall what it was. Letting out a laugh, he turned to her.

"What's so funny?" she asked, the corner of her mouth twitching.

"I don't even know you're name," he admitted.

She smiled, letting out a small laugh as well. "It's Kate." That was it, he could remember now. Kate. 

"What about you?" she asked.

"Jack," he told her.

"Well, Jack, it looks like we're going to be seeing alot of each other." She gestured towards the plane. "Do you think there are any other survivors?"

Jack sighed. "There was alot more to that plane than what's over here. I guess it all depends on where and how they landed."

"We should probably look, you know, see if there's anyone else. Then we can wait for rescue." She pulled a long scarf out of her suitcase. "Who packs a scarf when they go to Sydney or L.A.?" 

He laughed. "I don't know, but it's going to help us. That'll stop the bleeding."

Kate straightened out her leg, while Jack took the scarf. Taking one last look at her wound, he shook his head. "It doesn't look infected, but I'm going to have to keep an eye on it." He went about wrapping it, apoligizing when she winced in pain. Making sure it was tight, he pulled away. 

"Thanks," she said softly. 

Looking around, Jack noticed that darkness was starting to fall. "We should wait until morning to go look for the others. I don't like the idea of walking around the jungle at night."

She nodded. "Somehow, I don't think I'm going to get a great night's sleep," she laughed.

"I have to agree with you there," Jack grinned. "I'll go look in the plane, see if there's anything we can use."

"I'll come," she told him. 

"No, your leg needs to heal. You've already done too much on it today."

"Jack, please, I'm fine. Let me help." He could already tell she wasn't the type to give up.

"Okay," he gave in, "but let's make this quick."

They did, hurrying to find the supplies they needed. By the time they were through, they had found a bundle of airplane blankets and pillows, as well as a few bottles of water. There was a cart of food, but since both of them were more exhausted than hungry, they decided to save that for the next day.

As Jack layed down, an alarming thought occured to him. The woman lying just over five feet away from him was a criminal. However kind and funny she may seem, he didn't know what she was capable of. He couldn't believe that fact had managed to escape his mind all day.

* * *

Coming up: Do they really leave first thing in the morning? And if so, in what direction? Will they head towards the survivors, the tailies, the Others, or a totally different direction? If there's a specific group you want them to find first, let me know. I haven't exactly decided who they'll come across first, so I'm open to suggestions.

And let me know how I handled the first meeting. Did I also mention this is my first AU fic:)


	3. Ammunition

Okay, so I'm definatly taking your considerations into account. You're all pretty much echoing what I wanted to do first anyway. If you have any ideas, feel free to mention them in reviews. I'm always open to suggestion.

Bonboni: I have to say, you must be a mind reader. I was almost at the end of this chapter when I got your review, and I was like woah. :) Read the chapter, you'll see what I'm talking about.

* * *

_What you do on your own time's just fine  
__My imagination's much worse, I just never want to know  
__What meant the world had folded  
__like legs and fingers holding onto what escapes me  
__-Fall Out Boy, Calm Before The Storm_

Upon first waking up, it took Jack a moment to remember where he was. Glancing around curiously, the mess of brown curls to his left brought back the memories of yesterday's events. Kate was still sleeping, and Jack was suprised to see that they had somehow moved closer to each other while sleeping, now with a mere two feet between them.

He stood up, not wanting Kate to wake up and think he had moved over, and started looking through the food cart. They had been lucky that it had been in the front of the plane. He shuddered to think of what would have happened should they have no food.

His stomach growled, reminding him what he was doing in the first place. Choosing the lasagna, not his ideal breakfast, he was startled to hear a voice behind him.

"So, you decided to get first dibs on the food?" He turned around to see a tired looking Kate standing behing him. She smiled, moving around him to inspect the food for herself. "What a selection," she joked.

He laughed in response. "I hope you like chicken and lasagna."

"I'm a vegetarian," she stated with a smirk. "I think I'll go for the lasagna." She picked a tray identical to his own, peeling off the wrapper skeptically.

"Nothing better than cold pasta in the morning." He poked at the food with his plastic fork, wondering how much of it he'd have to eat to keep himself from being too hungry. He had never been a fan of lasagna, but he didn't think he could stand the chicken this early.

"I've had worse," she said, then turned away after realizing what she said. He too looked away. As a criminal on the run, she probably had eaten some less than satisfactory meals. He tried to lighten the mood.

"I'm a surgeon. I skip meals more than anyone should." She laughed, and he decided that he liked the sound of it. Smiling back at her, he returned to the cold lasagna.

Ten minutes later, they had both finished their meals. "So, where do you think we should go?" Kate asked, glancing around the jungle, as if a path would magically appear. "We don't even know where to start."

"We should try to get out of the jungle first," he replied. "Make it easier for resuce to find us."

She nodded. "Do you think they could already be here?" she asked, her eyes instinctivly going to the sky.

His gaze followed hers. "We were only about halfway through the flight when we crashed. It's amazing we're not at the bottom of the ocean right now. It'll probably take them a while to find us."

She looked at the ground, and he wondered what she could be thinking about. When rescue came, they would take her away, wouldn't they? Now that he had remembered, it was impossible to forget that she was a criminal. Normally, he would be concerned about being stranded with a criminal, but she didn't seem all that dangerous. Besides, it wasn't like he had any other options. As far as he knew, they could be the only two people on the island.

"Jack?" she said sharply, breaking him out of his thoughts. "Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?" He had been so absorbed in thinking, that he hadn't heard a sound.

She paused, looking around. Then, from somewhere in the distance, there came a crash. "That!" she exclaimed, pointing over his shoulder.

He soon saw what she was staring at. Trees were swaying, some collapsing, as the crashing noise grew louder. It was too close. "Run!" Jack shouted.

The two took off at a fast pace, dodging trees along the way. Jack thought Kate was still at his side, but glancing to his left he realized that wasn't the case. Fear spread quickly, but he couldn't look for her now. Spotting a small cave, he crawled quickly inside. He could still hear the loud bangs of trees falling. He found himself thinking back to Kate. Was she alright? What if whatever was making that noise had found her?

Suddenly, as soon as it had started, it stopped. The jungle was eerily quiet. Crawling hesitantly out of the cave, he looked around. Everything seemed in place, like it had been fifteen minutes before.

Taking a deep breath, he shouted as loudly as he could. "Kate!"

He was met with silence. He began running again, nearly as fast as before. Not even knowing where to look, he stumbled through the jungle. A feeling of desperation came over him. He was alone, on some desert island, and now he couldn't even find Kate. The strange thing was, not only was he worried about his current prediacament, he was concerned for Kate. He had known her for a short time, but regardless of what she had done, he wouldn't want to see her meet this fate.

"Kate!" he yelled again. Standing completely still, he thought he heard something. "Kate?"

There was definatly something in the distance. "Jack!"

His heart pounding, he ran towards her shout. "I'm coming!"

"Jack!" She shouted again, and he wondered if she had heard him. He was so out of breath, it was becoming difficult to yell.

As he entered a clearing, he finally saw her. She too was running, stopping shortly when she saw him. They both stood, panting. "Are you okay?" she asked, wide eyed.

"Yeah, you?" he replied, happy to see her in one piece.

Relief wept her face. "I'm fine."

He smiled at her, but it quickly faded when he thought back to the previous events. "What was that?"

She shook her head. "I have no idea. I didn't get a good look at it, just some trees falling over. I found a hollowed out tree and hid inside."

"I didn't see it either," Jack told her. "I uh.. thought it got to you," he admitted, looking away from her eyes.

"Yeah, I thought so too. About you, I mean." She blushed.

They were quiet for a moment, each wrapped up in their own thoughts, before Kate broke the silence. "Do you think we should start moving yet? We should probably get as far away from here as possible."

Jack nodded in agreement. "Yeah, we should try to get out of the jungle." They walked back to the cockpit in relative silence. When they arrived, they packed their backpacks full of enough of the airline meals to last a few days, water bottles, and a few blankets. They didn't know how long they would be walking, so figured it was best to pack enough for a few days.

"It's a good thing somebody brought such big backpacks," Kate remarked, stuffing a small airplane pillow into her bag.

Jack laughed, struggling to zipper his. "There's only one more thing we need." He started walking towards the plane.

"Jack? What are you doing?" Kate asked.

"I'll be right back." He made the trip quick, not liking the sight of the dead bodies. He wouldn't be upset about leaving this behind.

"What did you get?" Kate asked curiously.

He reached into his pocket, pulling out the gun. "The marshall's," he stated simply, seeing her look of suprise.

She stared off into the distance, as if trying to remember something. "Wait here," she said suddenly.

Now it was her turn to enter the broken plane, returning after a few minutes. Jack's gaze went to the metal case in her hand, giving her a questioning look.

"The marshall's," she repeated his words. "It's got guns and ammo in it. The key was in his wallet." She held up the shiny metal object.

He took a step forward, examining the case. "That'll help," he remarked with a small smile.

"Yeah," she replied weakly, staring uncertainly at the case.

"Are you going to open it?" He questioned.

She nodded, reaching forward to put the key in the lock. He watched her, wondering what was making her so suddenly shaky.

* * *

Next: They open the case, and we all know what's inside there that's making Kate so uptight. Also, they'll be doing alot of walking, which will lead to them talking alot. So, yeah, lots of jate next chapter. Review!


	4. Five Questions

I'm so sorry it took so long. I've been super busy lately, and I just didn't have that much time to write. Things are slowing down though, so I should get back to normal updates.

Although, you could help by reviewing ;). I only got 5 for the last chapter! I know you guys can do better than that! But I really appreciate those of you who did review, and all the alerts and favorites. Good to know some people actually like this! :)

* * *

_I wanna say that we're getting closer every day  
You know you can't stop when you're racing the clock, c'mon  
This heart's a bomb and we're setting it off, alright  
-Closer, My Favorite Highway_

The case sprung open, and Jack was relieved to see that it was just what Kate had said. After her strange behavior, he had been expecting some unwelcome suprise.

"Guns and ammunition," he stated. "I guess we got lucky."

"Yeah." Kate was staring into the case, as if trying to see beyond the guns and boxes of ammo.

"Is there something else in there?" Jack asked, noting that her odd behavior hadn't gone away.

Kate shot him a wide eyed look. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about the way you've been acting strange since you brought out that case," he told her.

She glared at him defiantly. "You don't even know me. How do you know if I'm acting any different than how I normally do?"

"Fine, Kate. Don't tell me. Let's just close it up and go. I won't even look," he snapped. He started to walk away, securing his backpack. Turning around, he realized she hadn't moved.

"It belonged to.. my friend," she told him, holding up a small object. On closer inspection he could see that it was a small plane.

"Your friend?" Jack repeated incredulously. She was making such a big deal out of a toy plane?

"Yeah." She looked away, pocketing the plane. "I just... It's nothing."

He decided to drop the issue for now. She obviously wasn't going to open up about it. "Are you ready to go?"

She nodded, pulling her backpack onto her shoulder. Jack did the same, also picking up the case.

"I'm kind of hoping we won't need that." Kate gave him a small smile, trying to clear the awkwardness.

"Yeah, that would be nice," he agreed, casting a look at the metal case. "But we should be safe. After what happened this morning, we can't be too careful."

When they were ready to go, both of them stood in the middle of the clearing, neither knowing which way to turn. Jack let out a soft chuckle. "I guess it doesn't really matter, does it? It's just a guess either way."

Kate looked around, trying to find a path. "Yeah. Which ever way we go, we'll have to get out of the jungle eventually."

They finally agreed on going in the direction where the jungle was less dense, hoping it would remain that way. They walked in relative silence for the first five minutes of the journey.

"What if there aren't any other survivors?" Kate asked, grabbing Jack's attention. "I mean, how did we survive that crash? We were the only ones from our section of the plane."

Jack shrugged. "I don't know. I guess it was luck." Truthfully, he wasn't a big believer in luck. He just didn't have any other explanation.

"I don't believe in luck," Kate said, making him laugh. "What?" she asked.

"Neither do I," he admitted. She laughed too, rolling her eyes at him.

"So much for that theory."

Jack smiled at her, and then his thoughts began to wander. Here he was, laughing and joking with this woman, when he didn't know a thing about her. He cast a glance at her, and she caught his eye.

"What?" she asked curiously.

He decided to be honest with her. "I don't even know you."

"What do you mean?" She tilted her head to the side slightly, gazing over at him.

"I don't know. I guess thought I'd be in L.A. right now. Instead I'm in the middle of a jungle with someone I hardly know." He shook his head. "It's just all kind of strange."

"So get to know me," she said simply. She raised a eyebrow at him. "Five questions."

"What do you mean, five questions?" Jack asked.

"You get to ask me five questions, and I have to answer them honestly. Catch is, I get to do the same to you."

Jack nodded. "Okay." He decided to start with something simple. "Where did you grow up?"

"Iowa. Basically in the middle of nowhere," she laughed. "I hated it."

"I had to go there for a medical conference once," he told her. "It's.. nice," he smirked.

"You can say it, Jack, there's not much to do." She smiled. "Now I get to ask you." She thought for a moment, finally asking, "Have you ever been married?"

He looked to the ground. "Yeah," he answered shortly.

"I guess it didn't work out," she said, casting him a sympathetic look.

"Not exactly," he sighed. "Okay, were _you_ ever married?"

She nodded slowly. "It didn't work out either," she said softly. "Reason for flying?"

The way she looked at him told him she knew it hadn't been a vacation trip. Maybe it was obvious, the fact that he was alone and didn't seem like someone who had just taken a relaxing vacation.

"I had to bring my father home," he told her. For the first time, his mind wandered to the coffin. He had no idea where it was, or what was happening to his father's body.

Kate looked at him, confused. "He wasn't on the plane, was he?"

He closed his eyes for a few seconds, opening them when he said, "He's dead."

"Oh," she uttered. "Sorry."

He decided to move on. "Biggest regret?"

She had to think about this one. He wondered if it was because she had alot of regrets, or because she didn't have any. When she spoke, he realized it must be the former.

"Letting Tom in the car," she said vaguely, her eyes watering slightly.

"I'm sorry," he told her, gently touching her arm. "We can stop."

"No," she shook her head. "I'm fine." She thought for a moment, a slight smirk gathering on her face. "Are you an alchoholic?"

"What?" he exclaimed. "No!" He let out a hollow laugh. "Where the hell did you come up with that?"

She bit her lip, giving him a small smile. "You had not problem getting those drinks down on the plane."

"I was stressed," he explained. "I don't usually drink like that."

"Good," she told him. "Because I didn't want to have to hide the booze I found on the food cart." She laughed at his raised eyebrow. "It's in my bag."

"And I'm the alchoholic?" he teased. "We're hiking through a jungle, and you decided to pack the booze?"

"Hey!" she pretended to be offended. "After this morning, I think we might need it. So far, this is the most stressful jungle I've ever been in."

"Have to agree with you there," he told her. "It's also the only jungle I've ever been in."

She let out a breathy laugh. "Me too."

"Okay," Jack thought for his next question, breaking into a smile. "How old are you?"

"What?" Kate exclaimed,"What kind of question is that?"

"Oh come on, women always lie about their ages. This time you can't," he winked, making her laugh.

"Fine. I'm twenty-eight. Happy?" She grumbled, though a slight smile played on her lips.

"Very," he replied.

"Well, I'm going back to the serious stuff here. I can't afford any more questions like that one," Kate chuckled. "Why did your marriage end?"

He looked around uncomfortably, wondering why he had agreed to pouring his life out to a complete stranger. Then again, this complete stranger was his only companion, so maybe they deserved to know a little bit about each other.

"She cheated on me," he admitted. "I guess I wasn't the best husband. I work alot, you know."

She shook her head. "That's not a good enough excuse for her to do that."

He gave her a grateful smile, and found himself wondering about this woman. From what he could tell, she was kind and funny. What had she done in her mere twenty-eight years that had caused her to be on the run from the law?

"Why were you with the marshall?" he blurted out, before he had even realized what he had said.

Her eyes shifted downwards, and he immediatly regreted the question. "You know what, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have-,"

"No," she cut him off. "I kind of expected you to. I mean, you're in the middle of a jungle alone with me, I figured you'd ask." Still looking away from him, she added, "I just wish you hadn't".

* * *

So, I know she told him more about the plane on the actual show, but keep in mind that they've only known each other three days! That's not quite as long as on the actual show :). But don't worry, it'll come up again, when they know each other a little better.

Also, I'm leaving it up to you guys. Should she tell him what she did? I know what I'm leaning towards, but I'll definetly take your ideas into account. So there's all the more initiative for you to review! ;)


	5. Presumed Dead

_I really love my fellow jaters. I've gotten requests for both no Sawyer and no Juliet. I'd love for that to happen on the show, but of course it won't. At least I can give you a little relief in this story. While I can't promise they won't be in it at all, I can tell you they won't be a threat to jate, or play a very large role at all. I wrote alot of Sawyer in my last story, and I'm glad for the break!_

_And I'm sorry this took so long, my life's been hectic. But I won't bore you with my problems, read about Kate's and Jack's!_

Oh, and everybody knows this is the part  
Of breaking down in anybody's arms  
I'm reaching down and hoping this one's ours  
God, please let this take  
-Mayday Parade, Walk On Water Or Drown

Jack stared at Kate, who wore a deeply troubled look on her face. It seemed as if she were thinking deeply, considering something. He figured she was trying to think of what to tell him.

"I'm not some serial killer, you don't need to worry," she told him, somewhat bitterly.

"I didn't think so," he assured her. "I honestly can't think of anything you could have done, that's why I asked."

She tried to give him a small smile, but he could see she was struggling. "I made a mistake," she stated, her tone suprisingly detatched. She stared him down, as if daring him to question her.

"Oh." He hadn't expected her to tell him. He vaguely remembered the marshall saying something about matches while they were on the plane. He didn't mention it.

"You're probably afraid of me," said Kate. "You don't need to be. Besides, look at the size of you. I think we both know who would come out better in a fight."

He noticed that her tone was guarded. She expected him to be afraid of her, to be repulsed by her and whatever crime she had commited.

"I'm not afraid of you," he told her, the thought striking him as absurd, no matter what she had done. He just couldn't think of her in that context.

Kate looked suprised by this statement, but she didn't let it show in her words. "Okay," she said simply.

He gazed at her now calm features, and couldn't help but wonder if someday he would know why she was like this, what she had done. Would it change his opinion of her? Had this conversation changed it? Not as much as you would think.

It was hard to make small talk after this episode, so they walked in silence for a long time. It was a scary thing, not knowing where you were going. They just walked in a straight line, hoping that they would soon reach the end of the jungle.

It was beginning to get dark, so they decided to make camp. The tension was decreasing between them, and they laughed as they struggled to keep a fire going. Jack silently thanked whatever smoker had brought the lighter they had found in the luggage. If not for them, it would be cold and dark, something he was hoping they would never have to deal with.

It was still too early to sleep, or so they thought. There was no way of being sure what time it was, but they didn't feel particularly tired. Sitting around the fire, Jack's thoughts went to Kate's injured leg.

"How's your leg doing?" he asked her, knowing that all the walking they had been doing was probably not helping the pain.

"It's actually not that bad," she said, smiling slightly, "It looks worse than it feels."

Though he had helped her clean it earlier, he found himself looking at the wound once again. The risk of an infection was too high to take lightly.

"Jack," Kate laughed, amused by his worry. "I'm fine, really."

"Then think of me as doing this for myself. You getting an infection would be a real hassle for me." He tried to look serious, his mouth breaking into a smile as he heard her laugh.

"Well, in that case, do whatever you need to do. Wouldn't want to put you out."

He pulled out one of the water bottles, gently cleaning the cut. She winced lightly as the liquid hit her damaged skin, but other than that she was perfectly still, watching him.

"I guess it's a good thing I got stranded with a doctor," she told him, leaning against her backpack as he finished up.

He let out an airy laugh. "I guess so," he said simply.

She looked at him intently, analyzing his every feature. "You don't think very much of yourself, do you?"

His head snapped up questioningly. "What do you mean?"

"You just really downplay the fact that you're a nice, smart, handsome doctor." She grinned at him playfully.

He felt a slight blush rising to his cheeks, suprising him. "I guess that's a matter of opinion. Besides the doctor part, at least."

"No, it's the truth." He had finished with her leg, and she readujusted her sitting position. He laughed lightly, putting the water bottle away for future use.

"Thanks, but there's more to the nice, handsome doctor than you think. Maybe you wouldn't think so much of me if you knew all that." He felt the need to set her straight. He didn't want her to think too much of him, since he wasn't all that deserving.

She raised her eyebrows at him. "Maybe I'll find out."

He gave a slight shrug of his shoulder. "Maybe you will."

Silence surrounded the camp, but Kate didn't let it last. "I never got my last question," she reminded him.

He tensed, wondering what question he would have to answer. After his last question, she was really free to ask him anything.

Her face broke into a mischevious smile, and she reached into her bag. "How many drinks will it take to get you drunk?" Her hand came out of the backpack, fingers wound tight around the bottle of alcohol.

The laugh escaped his mouth, shaking his head as she handed him the bottle to open. "You're interesting, Kate, I'll give you that."

"Is that a good thing?" She said it lightly, but he could tell there was seriousness hidden in the question. After today's confrontation, she wanted to make sure he was serious about not being afraid of her, of what she was capable of.

"Yeah," he told her, "I couldn't ask for a better person to be stranded with."

She smiled at him, taking a short sip from the bottle. They continued talking until their bodies demanded rest, laying about a foot closer together than they would have if they were completely sober. The island, however, served as a constant reminder, and neither of them drank enough to be less than alert.

What they didn't know was that halfway across the island, three people had just returned to their beach camp from the cockpit. Had Jack and Kate stayed there just a little longer, they would have been reuntited with the other survivors of Flight 815. Now, as it happened, Charlie, Sayid, and Boone returned with the news that everybody in first class was dead.

One mother would cry for her daughter seated at the front of the plane, and more than a few would ask if there was any news about the tail section. Sayid would tell them all that he knew, which truthfully wasn't much. Nobody would ask about Jack and Kate. They hadn't touched anyone's lives on the plane. Nobody, that is, except each other.

* * *

_If only they weren't so active, and had just stayed put! Oh well, more time for Jate! If there's anything you guys want to see between them in the next two chapters, let me know. I know who they're meeting first, and what will happen when they meet each group, but I've got a few chapters before that happens. So let me know, and if it fits well enough, I promise to write it in!_


	6. Mind Playing Tricks On Me

I'm sorry, I realize that this chapter is short. I just needed to set some things up for the upcoming chapters. You'll see what I mean when you read this, or maybe you will. Anyways, I'll try and update quicker next time. My life has gotten about 10 times more confusing and hectic since my last update, so I'm struggling to find time to write. But I'll try, I promise!

* * *

_I can feel you all around me  
Thickening the air I'm breathing  
Holding on to what I'm feeling  
Savoring this heart that's healing  
-All Around Me, Flyleaf_

When Jack woke up the next morning, Kate was gone.

It took a moment for the shock to sink in, due to his drowsiness, but when it did it hit him full force. He quickly lept from his seat, rubbing his eyes furiously. He made a quick scan of the campsite, but she was nowhere to be found.

"Kate!" After what had happened the previous day, anything was possible. "Hey!"

Wouldn't he have woken up if anything had happened? Jack had always been a light sleeper. Years of hospital residency could do that to you.

Distantly, he heard a twig snap. His head whipped in the diretion of the noise, standing quietly in anticipation.

She came bustling through a bush, smiling as she asked, "Did you call me?"

He inhaled a deep breath, his heart rate returning to normal. "You scared the hell out of me," he said breathlessly.

Her eyes widened, realizing he'd been worried. "Sorry. I didn't think you would wake up so soon."

"It's okay. Just give me a warning next time." He gave a light laugh. "So, where'd you go?"

She held up her backback, unzipping it and pulling out a small fruit. "I was getting sick of lasagna," she told him with a smile.

He walked over, and she showed him the large amount of fruit she had picked. "I grew up climbing trees," she explained. "I figured we needed a little variety."

"You were right." He bit into one of the fruits, glad to have a change from lasagna and chicken.

He heard her laugh, cocking his head to the side with a questioning glance. "What?" he asked.

"You have a piece of mango right.." she reached up to wipe the small piece of fruit of his face, "there."

Maybe Kate's hand stayed on the corner of his mouth for a moment too long, or maybe he just imagined it. By the way she retracted her hand, however, it seemed he hadn't imagined the spark, and that she'd noticed it too.

"Umm.. we should get going," she told him, avoiding his eyes.

"Yeah," he agreed, slinging his backpack over his shoulder. "I'm starting to wonder if this jungle will never end. If we don't get there soon, rescue might just assume we're dead." He hadn't voiced this fear yet, but felt that he should get Kate's opinion on it. "They might leave without us."

Her eybrows shot up. "I hadn't thought of that," she admitted. "But you're right. Especially if they find the cockpit."

He hadn't meant to worry her, just see if she agreed. "We'll get there eventually. This jungle can't go on forever. It has to end somewhere."

They seriously began to doubt that when, after another day of walking, there was no end in sight. The trees were just as thick as before, and there was no beach to be found.

"We have no idea how big this island is," Kate mused as they set up camp for yet another night. "We could even be going in the complete wrong direction." She sighed, settling herself on an airline pillow.

Her distress made him want to comfort her. He sat down next to her, handing her one of the fruits she had picked that morning. "Hey, you can't give up yet," he told her. "It will end soon. Then we can go back to L.A., and sleep in real beds, not the jungle floor."

He realized, as her face dropped, that wasn't the case for her. Suddenly, he remembered why she was on the plane in the first place. She was most likely going back to a prison cell the second she hit the main land.

"Sorry," he muttered softly, looking in the other direction.

"No, it's okay." He found himself, not for the first time since their confrontation, thinking back to what she could have done.

Her voice snapped him out of his thoughts. "Did you see that?"

"See what?" his gaze swept the surrounding trees, searching for the source of her confusion.

Her eyebrows were furrowed together, and she seemed deep in thought. "Nothing, I just thought I saw a light. I probably imagined it." She shook her head, as if trying to erase the image.

"Are you sure?" He hadn't stoped scanning the area, his ears alert for anything that might sound in the distance.

She tried to laugh. "No, not really."

Jack opened his backpack, searching for the flashlight he had stored there. His movements became more frantic as he realized that the item was missing.

"It's gone," he whispered. "I'm sure I put it in here." He continued digging through the bag, meeting Kate's confused eyes as he turned up empty handed.

"I..uh.. I might have.." she trailed off, looking in her own bag. "Shit," she muttered. "Mine's gone too."

His heart pounding, Jack stood up and walked to the area Kate had claimed the light came from. It could be one of the other survivors. "Hello?" he asked cautiously.

He felt Kate come to his side, standing close enough that their upper arms touched. They waited, but no sound came. The night was still, not a movement but the slight swaying of the trees in the wind.

"I must have imagined it," Kate repeated, her voice hushed. "All the talk about rescue, maybe it was just wishful thinking."

He nodded, slowly returning to their small fire. She followed closely, sitting beside him in silence. Neither of them were fully convinced that Kate had imagined the light, but what else could it have been?

If only they had known. As it was, neither of them got much sleep that night. If they had been aware of the real dangers that lurked behind the trees, much worse than the idea of rescue leaving without them, they may have been more cautious.

* * *

Uh oh, who's in the jungle? You'll find out, but not next chapter. Next chapter holds some serious jate, and alot of things will be settled. You'll like it, at least I think. I'm not even close to being done with it, but I know where it's going, and I think it's going to be interesting. So review, and maybe I'll update faster ;)!


	7. Accepted

Sorry for the wait in updates. This chapter was paritcularly hard to write, but I think you'll all enjoy it. Things really pick up after this, so I'll try to get that up quick.

* * *

_I'm a stitch away  
from making it  
and a scar away  
from falling apart  
-The After Life of the Party, Fall Out Boy_

"I want to tell you what I did." It was the first thing he heard upon awakening, and he couldn't have imagined a sentence that would have suprised him more. It had been two days since Kate had seen the light, and they were no closer to getting out than they had been then.

It was obvious that Kate had been awake for a while, thinking deeply about this. She was sitting, her knees pulled against her chest with her arms wrapped around them. Her face was guarded, but the statement was clear. She wanted him to know.

"You don't have to do that." He was tired, the effects of sleep still wearing off. "It doesn't matter."

She shook her head. "It does matter. You deserve to know. If I were you. I'd want to know." She was determined, he could see that, but he had to try one last time.

"Really. I don't need to know." In all honestly, he wasn't sure he wanted to know. What if he couldn't handle the truth? What if it was so horrible that he couldn't stand to be near her? What if it changed how he saw her?

But this was Kate. How bad could it be? He tried to assure himself that it wouldn't mean anything, that he could still trust her. In this situation, he had to trust her.

"You do," she argued. "I want you to know."

He nodded numbly, bracing himself for the worst. Could his determination to not think differently of her outweight whatever shock her confession would draw forth?

She took a deep breath, and he wondered if she was second guessing her decision. Just as he was about to tell her that she didn't need to do this, she started to speak.

"I killed my father." She spoke so quickly he almost didn't hear it. But he managed to understand the words coming from her mouth, and he felt his stomach drop.

"You.." he trailed off, unsure of what to say to her.

"He was abusive. He hit my mother.. all the time." The cold, detatched way that she said this scared him more than the words did. "She wouldn't leave him. If I hadn't done it, he probably would have killed her. It was the only way."

He nodded, still trying to choose his words.

Her gaze flickered to him, her eyes wide and vulnerable, even as she tried to look strong. "So, that's it. And if you hate me now, well, I guess you'll just be like everyone else."

He tried to look at it as objectively as he could. She killed her father. No, her abusive father. Was he really one to judge? His own father's death had most likely been an indirect effect of his actions.

And something about the way she said, 'you'll just be like everyone else,' made him feel strangely sympathetic. She didn't deserve this.

He nodded, slowly at first, but then with more confidence. "You did what you thought was best."

The look on her face was one of pure shock. He realized that she had expected rejection, and he was nearly as shocked as she was at his acceptance of her crime.

"You're serious?" she questioned, the suprised expression still donning her features. "You're not mad?"

"Suprised, yeah. A little bit confused. But it's not like we're all perfect. From what I can tell, you would only do something like that if you had a real reason to." He really hoped that this was the truth, and that he wasn't putting his complete trust in her for nothing.

It helped that they were alone. In a group, he would have other options, other people to talk this out with. Being just them, he felt as if he had to trust her, had to believe she was a good person.

"You.. you really believe that?" she asked, and it was if something changed in her eyes. Where before she had been guarded towards him, even at the lightest moments, now she was putting herself out there.

"Yeah, I guess I do." He gave her a small smile, and he could see her eyes glisten with unshed tears. As she blinked, one fell, traveling slowly down her cheek. He reached up to wipe the tear away with his thumb, hearing her inhale quickly as his finger made contact with her soft skin.

She suprised him then by reaching to wrap her arms around him, burying her face in his chest. Her body wracked with soft sobs, and he could feel his shirt become damp with her tears. He slowly moved his arms to support her back, holding her close to him as she cried. It was strange to see her so vulnerable after her stoic appearance in the last week.

Her sobs died down eventually, but she didn't loosen her grip on him. She turned, her mouth aligned with his ear, and whispered a soft, "Thank you."

* * *

It was different, after that. The protectiveness Kate held against him was almost nonexistent. They trekked through the jungle for three more days without finding anything, and though the hopelessness was still there, the comfort between them made things seem less dreary.

"So, what's with the tattoos?" Kate asked Jack on the fourth days, as they stopped to eat. They were running low on food, a fact that worried them both, but neither dared to mention.

He laughed, gazing slightly at his shouler. "What do you mean?"

"You just don't seem like the tattoo kind of guy." She took a bite of a mango, ignoring the plate of lasagna next to her foot. They had stopped eating the plane meals because they had been unrefrigerated for so long.

"You'd be suprised," he told her. She grinned at him, shaking her head slightly.

"I guess so."

They finished eating, packing their bags to continue on their hike. They were in the middle of a discusion about one of Jack's more difficult surgeries, something she sometimes liked to ask him about, when Kate stopped short. She was a foot or two ahead of him, and she was in the proccess of coming over a hill.

"What are you doing?" he asked, catching up to her quickly. He too stopped, a smile growing on his face to match the one on hers.

The vast blue ocean greeted them, sand shining in the sunlight. The lack of life on the beach did nothing to dampen their spirits, because as far as they were concerned, they were one step closer.

* * *

I know that on the show Jack didn't let Kate tell him what she did, but things are different when you're stranded alone. I think I'd want to know! Reviews are always appreciated, so be sure to leave one!


	8. Crashing

Sorry for the wait! But at least we had some good old (spoilers for 4.10) episode 10 to give us our jate fix. Anyone else LOVE those flashforwards. Who cares if they fought at the end, we knew it was coming! I think this proves more than ever that they'll be together in the end. She said yes!! Anyway, I'm thinking of doing a oneshot based off it, but the chance that I'll have time to do that is really slim.

I think you'll like this chapter, so enjoy!

* * *

They decided to spend the night on the beach, both too tired to continue looking. The mood was a drastic difference from the previous nights, now that all their searching had actually produced results.

"Do you think rescue's here yet?" Kate asked. "They've got to be."

Jack nodded in agreement. "It's been a week in a half. My only worry is that they could have already left."

"The plane was big, and it probably broke apart a lot in the air," Kate remarked. "I bet they're still looking around. It'll be easier to find us on the beach."

"Good," Jack smiled. "I'm getting tired of mangos and guavas."

She smirked at him in return. "Maybe I'll just stop picking them for you then. You can start climbing trees."

He laughed. "Okay, maybe they're not so bad," he admitted. "Better than the other option." He eyed the bag containing the old chicken and lasagna wearily.

They talked for a while longer, before agreeing that it was best to go to sleep and see what the morning would bring.

* * *

When he woke up the next morning, it was the crashing of the waves that met Jack's ears. He felt a small smile play upon his lips as he rolled over on his side, the smile turning into a full out laugh at the sight he was met with.

"It'ts not funny!" exclaimed a soaking wet Kate, standing up to her knees in the ocean water. She held a sharp stick, which he could only imagine she had been trying to spear fish with.

"It's a little funny," he teased. She sent him a glare, which only caused his laughter to intensify.

"Oh, you think you could do any better?" she challenged. He shrugged, standing up and wading into the water to meet her.

"Not really." She shook her head at him playfully, then turned her gaze to the empty spear.

"I know when to stab them, but I always miss!" she complained. "I can't hold it steady."

He reached out a hand, explaining when she looked at him questioningly. "I have steady hands. I'm a surgeon, it's kind of a requirement. You tell me when, and I'll do it."

She gazed at him skeptically, but handed it over anyway. "You think that'll work?"

"Why not try?" He held the stick carefully, waiting for her command.

"Okay," she agreed, peering into the clear ocean water. A school of fish came along, swimming around Jack's ankles. "Now!" she shouted, just as one went under the stick.

He jabbed at the sandy bottom, suprised when he felt the stick make contact with something on the way down. He brought the stick above the water, and both of them took on a suprised look at the fish wriggling around dramatically.

"We actually did it!" Kate exclaimed, eyeing the fish proudly. "I guess those surgeon hands really do come in handy," she smirked.

"Apparently," he agreed. "So, how are we going to cook this thing?"

They quickly realized that it wasn't as easy as they thought it would be. After nearly a half an hour of struggling, they finally cooked the fish over the small fire they had lit.

"You'd think that as the week went on, our fires would start to get better," Kate mused, eyeing the small pile of burning sticks with amusement.

"Just be glad we have a lighter," Jack laughed. "We could have ended up doing this boy scout style, rubbing two sticks together."

Kate groaned at the very idea, laying back on the warm sand. It was warmer on the beach than the jungle, and the sun felt good against their skin. Suddenly, she sat up straight. "Let's go swimming."

Jack raised an eyebrow. "Shouldn't we start moving, look for rescue?"

She waved a hand in his direction, as if brushing away this suggestion. "They aren't going anywhere." At his skeptical glance, she added, "Well, maybe they are. But how often will we be stranded on a beautiful island like this? They aren't going to leave without us, they'll have to keep looking until they've found everybody, alive or dead."

It seemed she had just come to this conclusion, and it sat well with him. After all, they would have to scan the whole island to make sure no one was left behind. Now that they were on the beach, they were much more likely to be seen.

"Okay," he agreed, stripping off his shirt. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Kate eyeing him, but she looked away quickly when he caught her eye. However, any thoughts of her being bashful left him quickly when she stripped out of her shirt and pants, leaving herself in just her underwear.

"Let's go," she said, nodding at him. He met her at the edge of the waves, and they sank into the warm water, glad to finally rinse off some of the dirt from the past week and a half.

"I haven't been to a beach in years," she admitted, floating contentedly on her back.

"Me either," he told her, trying to avert his eyes from her minimally clothed body.

"I thought you said you lived in L.A". He was glad to notice that she seemed to share his problem, her eyes darting every now and then to his bare chest.

"Didn't have much time," he stated simply. It was true. He had been swamped with work, so much so that he could barely find time to eat, let alone go to the beach.

"Well then, I guess we both deserved this little vacation," she smiled, and he laughed at her description of their predicament. She joined him, splashing him lightly. He returned the action, making her duck in the other direction.

She quickly retaliated, splashing him furiously, laughing heartily now. He leaned forward to capture her hands with his, succeeding and holding them tightly, but gently. Her eyes met his, her breath coming out in heavy bursts.

Suddenly, in a rush of boldness, Kate tilted her head up and sealed Jack's lips with her own.

He was caught off guard, but responded quickly. Their mouths moved together as the waves crashed against them. They deepened the kiss, mouths opening wider, tongues tangling together. When they finally broke apart, they were both breathless.

"Uh.. wow," Kate whispered, her voice barely audible.

Jack let out a breathy laugh. "Yeah."

They were both suddenly very aware of their lack of clothing, so they went back to the beach to change. For some reason, Jack couldn't seem to keep the small smile from forming on his face.

They decided that now was as good a time as any to head down the beach, hoping to run into other survivors. They walked in a slightly awkward, but mostly comfortable silence. Neither could help but notice the way their hands brushed slightly as they strode accross the beach, and neither minded.

* * *

"I just heard from Jeff, Ben." An older man, maybe in his late 50's, reported. "His damn walkie hasn't been working, this is the first time he's made contact since that first day."

"And what did he say, Tom?," Ben asked.

"Jack Shephard and Kate Austen. One's a fugitive," he raised his eyebrows, "and one.. is a surgeon."

"Hmm." Ben tapped his pen on his desk, looking thoughtful. "A couple?"

Tom shook his head. "Strangers before the crash. Though, according to Jeff, they're getting pretty cozy," he smirked.

"Okay, tell him to keep doing exactly what he's doing until we can send him a few others. Shephard may be helpful for.. my problem. I don't know what we'll do with Austen."

At that moment, the door burst open. A red headed woman in her mid-thirties stood before them, anger written all over her face. "Did I hear correctly? Kate Austen is on this island? As in Katherine Austen, fugitive?"

Ben shot a sharp look at Tom, who also looked confused. "That's confidential."

"I want to see her, Ben. I know you'll bring them here, and when you do, I need to talk to her." She glared at him intensely.

"And why might that be?" he asked.

"I'll let you know once I lay eyes on her, but not until then." With that, she stormed out, slamming the door behind her.

"Looks like someone has a grudge," Tom remarked.

"Yes, it does," Ben agreed. "Well, when you talk to Jeff, tell him I want them both. And get me some backround history. Shephard will perform the surgery, if he's capable, and I'm sure we'll find something to do with Ms. Austen. Or if we don't... I'm sure Spencer will."

* * *

Oh yes, they kissed! You can blame my good mood after 4.10! And I wasn't originally going to add in the end, but this chapter was short. Now you got some answers, and even more questions! (I must be taking a leaf out of the Lost writers' book!). Anyway, Spencer is an original character, but she's connected to Kate by somebody that we know. Extra points if you can guess who! Anyway, leave a review. They seem to be down lately, so I'll really appreciate it.


	9. It's The End Of The World

Sorry for the lack of updates. I've been extremely busy, and a few aspects of my life are a complete mess right now, but I'm trying. I'm pretty excited about where this story is going from here, so maybe that will inspire me to update more quickly. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this.

Bonboni: I wish I could say I had some good reason for not putting a song up, like not wanting to give too much away, but I honestly just forgot. Like I said, things have been crazy lately, and I just wanted to get that update up. The song just completely slipped my mind!

* * *

_You try so hard to find a rhythm in your heartbeat  
The less you know the more you want  
To try to justify the secrets of your lifetime  
In the end he'll come for us  
- Take Care, A Change Of Pace_

They spent the night on the beach, not wanting to walk in the dark. If either noticed that they slept a little closer than usual, neither mentioned it.

The next morning, Kate froze as she reached into her bag. "Jack," she said slowly, "I only have half a water bottle left."

His eyes widened, and he quickly reached into his own bag. He pulled out a bottle filled about three quarters of the way.

"Oh my god," Kate whispered. "What are we going to do?"

Jack gazed longingly at the edge of the beach. The vast blue ocean seemed to be teasing him, so much water, but none of it able to satisfy their thirst.

"I don't know," he admitted. "It's rained since we got here, so maybe some of the water gathered somewhere."

Kate's eyes flashed toward the jungle. "You mean we have to go back in there to look?"

"It seems like it's the only way," he told her, "unless it rains again soon."

They both instinctivly looked up, sighing in defeat when a bright blue sky met their eyes.

"The jungle it is, I guess," Kate muttered.

"Well, let's try to save as much water as we can for now. We'll walk along the beach and maybe we'll get lucky, find something. Someone," he added in an after thought.

Kate looked skeptical, and he didn't blame her. They hadn't seen another human being in almost two weeks. At this point, they could only hope.

"Alright, let's go."

They had walked for a few minutes when Kate brought up the thought that had been plagueing her. "What if we don't get rescued? I mean, I know we've kind of talked about this, but what if we never find them, or they never find us? We're already running out of supplies, Jack."

He kicked at a patch of sand, dirtying the toe of his shoe. "I don't know." He took a deep breath, letting it out slowly.

She looked as if she expected him to say more. When he didn't she grabbed his arm, stopping him. "We could die, Jack, and that's all you can say?"

"I just.. What am I supposed to do, Kate? You think I'm happy about this? I can't deal with all of this." He took a seat in the sand, giving up on their walk for the time being.

Kate came to sit beside him, holding his hand loosely in hers. "Neither can I. But we need to stay alive, Jack, and get off this island. We can't do that if we don't try."

He turned his head to meet her gaze, and she smiled weakly at him. He leaned forward, touching his lips softly to hers, so lightly she could barely feel it. When he pulled away, he held out a hand, and helped her up off the sand.

"Well, let's start trying."

* * *

They walked for the rest of the day, finding miles of sand and ocean, but no human existence. Finally, as the sun started to fall below the horizon, they gave up.

"We'll just have to go look in the jungle tomorrow, or else hope for rain," Jack commented, setting up camp for their last night on the beach.

Or, that's what they thought.

When they woke up the next morning, and started on their jungle trek, they didn't expect Kate to trip over an object partially hidden by bushes. Nor did they expect that object to be a water bottle, surrounded by similar ones. They didn't expect it, but there they were.

"Where could they have come from?" Kate asked in awe, staring at the pile of bottles next to her feet.

"There's only one explanation. There's somebody else on this island, and they know we're here." Jack scanned the edge of the jungle, looking for any sign of human life.

"Why wouldn't they just show themselves?" Kate asked.

"Maybe they don't know who we are, don't want to take any chances," Jack offered, unable to think of an answer.

"Or maybe they don't want to be found," Kate said softly.

"Why wouldn't they want to be found?" Jack questioned, but he couldn't help but wonder. Why else would they chose to stay hidden?

"I don't know," Kate sighed, shaking her head lightly. "But it can't be good."

* * *

"They found the water bottles?" Ben asked, speaking into his walkie.

"As soon as they woke up," Jeff reported, his voice crackling through. He peered at the couple through the bushes, a safe distance away. They were still pondering over the water bottles. "They're suspicious. They know someone else is here."

"Of course they do, how could they not?" Ben snapped. He tapped a pen on his desk, sighing in annoyance. "What were you thinking, leaving them there? They're obviously not idiots, and water bottles don't just fall from the sky."

"You told me to do whatever it took to keep them alive," Jeff argued. "They would've died of thirst."

"So you somehow get them to find a pool of water, anything besides making it obvious that there's other people nearby. They still don't know about the other survivors, am I right?"

"Not a clue. They're getting dangerously close to the tail section group. Or, I should say, what's left of them," he laughed. "How's Goodwin's mission going?" He was met with silence. "Ben?"

"Oh, right, Goodwin," Ben said quickly. "Fine, I'm sure. I haven't talked to him.. personally."

"Okay, well, what should I do with these two?" he asked.

"I'm sending Tyler and Danny to meet you. the should be there in a few days. Here's the plan.." as Ben rattled of a list of things for him to do, Jeff felt his stomach drop. It was a good plan, but there were dire consequences if it went wrong.

* * *

"Hello! We know you're there!" Jack yelled, his voice echoing around the empty beach.

"It's useless, Jack. If they wanted us to find them, they would have shown themselves already." Kate sat in the sand, eyeing a water bottle warily. "Do you think these are safe to drink?" she asked.

Sighing in defeat, Jack dropped down beside her. Opening a bottle, he smelled the contents, then held it up to the light. "It doesn't look tampered with. And the seals not broken, so I'd say they're unopened."

"You're sure?" When he nodded, Kate grinned. "Thank God, I'm so thirsty."

Before she could lift the bottle to her lips he stopped her. "Wait. Let me try it first just in case," he protested, lifting a bottle.

"No, Jack, don't-" before she could stop him, he had taken a gulp of the water.

"Taste's fine. And I'm still alive, right?" He grinned.

She swatted him lightly on the arm. "You scared me!" she told him, taking a sip of her own.

"Sorry," he stated, laughing lightly.

"I'll forgive you, but next time I get to test the mysteriously appearing water," she teased.

"Deal," he agreed, hoping that there wouldn't be a next time. He had kind of thought they would be off the island by then.

"Hey, do you have a mango?" she asked. "I'm all out, and I don't feel like climbing any trees right now."

"Yeah, sure." Jack turned to reach into his bag, digging around to find the fruit. Suddenly, he felt Kate tense at his side. He snapped his head in her direction, and was met with her wide eyes.

"What?" he barely managed to ask, before seeing the cause of her suprise. Standing about ten feet away from them was a man, looking shocked and confused.

"Oh my god, I'm not the only one!" he cried. Seeing they're wary glances, he continued. "Oceanic 815? I thought I was the only survivor!"

Jack edged closer to Kate, partially blocking her from the man. His hand moved instinctively to the gun in his pocket, feeling the hard object throught the denim of his jeans.

"Who are you?" Jack asked the man, who had begun to move closer to them.

"Me? I'm Jeff, Jeff Boyson."

* * *

I'm hoping you all know who it is at the end ;). So, things are about the get alot more interesting. Also, even though she wasn't mentioned, here's another clue about Spencer:  
The person she's connected to has been mentioned before in this story. I know that doesn't narrow it down too much, but it eliminates a few possible guesses. Like, for example, Diane. :)


	10. Will You Marry Me?

Sorry for the wait lack of updates. I feel like I'm saying that everytime low, but it's true. The reviews were pretty low, so that wasn't exactly inspiring. But I think you'll like this chapter, so try to review for me. Please?

* * *

_We pave the roads we take  
We bend before we break  
Across the world with you  
The love you never found  
Was right here all along  
Waiting here for you  
-Worlds Away, From First to Last_

"That doesn't exactly answer my question," Jack replied coolly. "I'm going to need a little more than a name."

Jeff looked confused, as if he had been expecting a warmer welcoming. "Like I said, I was on the flight. I woke up in the middle of the jungle, wandered around for a few days, and found you two." He smiled. "Nice to know there where other survivors."

"A few days? We've been here for two weeks," Kate told him, doubt coming through in her voice.

"Wow." Jeff hung his head. "Has it really been that long?"

"Yeah, it has," Jack replied. "These water bottles, they wouldn't happen to be yours?" he asked.

Jeff cocked his head to the side, nodding when he spotted the bottles at their side. "Yeah, I guess you two found my stash," he laughed. "So, where are you headed?"

"Looking for rescue," Kate told him. "They must be here by now, don't you agree?"

"Of course. I'm surprised we haven't been picked up yet!" Jeff exclaimed. "What are we still doing here, let's get moving!"

Jack and Kate exchanged a glance, moving to pack up their belongings. The man's behavior was a little strange, a little too excited, but everyone handled stress differently. Besides, now they knew they weren't alone.

The three of them set off down the beach, while Jeff filled them in on his story. "I was flying back from a business meeting. It was a long one, and I was excited to get home. Looks like we caught a little detour though!"

Kate raised an eyebrow. "Aren't you a little optimistic? We're stranded here, but you seem pretty assured that it will all be okay."

"You said it yourself, Kate, rescue must be coming." The corner of his mouth quirked, as if he was trying to contain a smile. "It's only a matter of time before I'm back home, eating dinner with my wife. The two of you are lucky; at least you have each other. It must be nice to have your spouse with you."

Jack's eyes widened in surprise. "No, we're not married-," he started.

"Yet," Kate piped in, and he shot her a confused look. She gave him a large, bright smile. "We're getting married this summer," she finished.

"Congratulations!" Jeff exclaimed, apparently missing the look of shock on Jack's face. "Isn't it a little early for a honeymoon?" he joked.

"Well, we just love to travel, right Jack?" She gave him a pleading look, and he nodded.

"She's always wanted to go to Australia," he offered weakly, and she beamed.

"It was great."

Jeff smiled at the two of them. "Well, good for you. Marriage is a great thing, and you seem like a happy couple." He paused. "If you excuse me, I have to run to the... little boy's room," he joked.

"Go ahead," Jack told him. "We'll wait here."

As soon as he was out of hearing distance, Jack turned to her. "What was that?" he whispered.

He could already see the change in her appearance. She looked worried, glancing nervously at the tree line where Jeff has just disappeared. "He's lying," she stated.

"What?" he asked.

"Jack, if there's one thing I learned while I was on the run, it was to not trust anybody. He can't be telling the truth. A few days? We've been counting the days, there's no way he couldn't have known it was a few weeks." She bit her lip. "And, there's something else. I never told him my name."

He waited for her to continue, saying when she didn't, "Okay. And..?"

"He called me Kate," she told him, and he felt his stomach drop.

"How did he know?" he asked softly.

"I have no idea, but it just doesn't add up." She shook her head. "Something about him isn't right. Besides, how did he not hear us when you were calling him? Wouldn't he have answered back?"

"So, what are you saying?" Jack asked. "He wasn't on the plan?"

"I don't know." Kate's brow furrowed. "Where else would he have came from?"

They both pondered this. "Why'd you tell him we were engaged?" he asked curiously.

"I don't know," she admitted. "I just figured we should make him think we already knew each other. Plus, maybe he'll leave us alone more often, let us try to figure out what to do."

"Okay," Jack agreed. "Well, I guess we're going to have to act… engaged. He'll get suspicious, won't he?"

"I didn't think of that," Kate bit her lip. She gave him a small smile. "This could be interesting."

* * *

"Well, check the files again!" Jeff snapped. "They say they're engaged!"

"It doesn't say anything..." He could hear Tom shifting through papers. "I thought you said they didn't know each other?"

"Yeah, well, I didn't find them until a few days after the crash. Maybe I made a mistake," he mumbled. "Just keep looking!"

"An engagement might not show up, especially if it was recent. But she's a fugitive, he's a doctor, they can't be engaged! It doesn't even seem like their paths would have crossed!"

"Check their seats on the plane," Jeff told him impatiently. After a pause, Tom's voice came through.

"Right next to each other. The marshal was on the other side of Shephard. Jeff, you need to look into this. Come on, I thought you knew what you were doing."

"I did! They seemed like strangers, they've only kissed, like, once or twice, and they sleep apart from each other. What engaged couple acts like that?"

"I don't know, Jeff", Tom replied. "But if you were wrong, Ben's going to get angry. So go find out if they're bluffing."

* * *

"Hey there," Jeff greeted them, and Jack and Kate sprang apart.

"Hi," Kate smiled. "You ready to get going?"

"Sure am," Jeff agreed. They began their trek down the beach, and Jeff turned to start a conversation. "So, how long have you two been engaged?"

They looked at each other, not sure who should answer. Finally, Jack spoke up. "I uh... actually asked her while we were in Australia," he said, the first thing that came to mind.

"Good for you," Jeff told him. "Not such a great way to start off the engagement though, huh?"

"Well, it gives us some alone time," Kate tried to joke, covering up how nervous she really was. "Well, until you came along," she added teasingly, hoping he would maybe take a hint and give them more time alone. They needed to plan what they should do about the stranger.

"Sorry about that," Jeff replied. "But I'm not going back to being alone, that's for sure."

"So how did you manage that, being all by yourself?" Jack asked, steering the conversation away from them. Jeff quickly launched into a story about fishing and tree climbing, and soon it was nightfall.

"We should probably make camp," Jeff suggested, and Jack and Kate agreed. After they had built a fire, Jack spoke up.

"Do you mind if we go for a walk? We'll be back soon."

"No problem. Wouldn't want to disturb you lovebirds, take all the time you need," Jeff told them.

They set off at a brisk pace; stopping once they reached a spot out of Jeff's sight. They sat at the edge of the beach, watching the waves crash onto the shore.

"Something's just not right. He's too happy. We're on a desert island, for Christ's sake!" Kate exclaimed.

"He does seem awfully comfortable," Jack agreed. "We'll just have to keep an eye on him. There's not much else we can do."

Kate nodded, lying back onto the sand. "I don't want to go back," she admitted. Grinning, she added, "I think I liked it more when it was just us."

He chuckled, "Me too." Bracing himself on one arm, he leaned over to give her a soft kiss. "It was nice to have all that alone time with my fiancée," he teased.

"Okay, I know. But it was the first thing that came to mind. He might have tried to turn us against each other if he knew we were strangers before the crash," she explained.

"Sure, sure. Just admit that you want me." Jack grinned.

Kate sat up, pushing him down so that he lost the balance on his arm. "Shut up," she laughed. Then, turning herself so that she was almost lying on top of him, she lowered her mouth on to his, moving her lips slowly over his. He lifted his chin, deepening the kiss until they were both out of breath. As they broke away, he smirked.

"See, you do want me."

Laughing, she stood up, offering him her hand. "Maybe a little bit," she winked. He took her hand, and they walked over to the campsite where Jeff was just lying down.

"Oh, good, you're back. I'm going to sleep. We need to get up nice and early, continue the rescue hunt!"

They agreed, laying down a good distance away from Jeff, just close enough to keep from being suspicious. Realizing that they were supposed to be engaged, they lay next to each other, arms touching.

Feeling her tenseness, Jack reached an arm around Kate's shoulder. "Goodnight," he whispered, his breath tickling her ear. And Kate thought that maybe, pretending to be engaged may not be so bad after all.

* * *

Before you ask, Jeff was watching them from a distance. He couldn't hear all of their conversations, which may cast doubt on his original assumptions about them being strangers. Of course, he doesn't fully believe him, so we'll see how that goes. ;)

Drop a review!


	11. Not For Long

_Thanks for all the reviews! I'm hoping this will get some too, because I really like this chapter. Go ahead and read it!_

_By the way, if you notice that I put alot of Paramore songs in here, it's just because they have so many that remind me of jate! I've tried not to use too many, but a few of the ones I have lined up for the next couple chapters are by them. Anyway, just thought I'd let you know._

Please speak softly  
for they will hear us  
and they'll find out  
why we don't trust them

_Speak up, dear  
'cause I cannot hear  
and I need to know  
why we don't trust them_

_Conspiracy, Paramore_

"So tell me, how exactly did the two of you meet?"

Jack and Kate exchanged a glance. Jeff was extremely curious about their personal lives, and it was starting to not only get annoying, but difficult to keep straight. It had been three days since they first told him they were engaged, and he seemed full of questions.

"Well, it's a funny story," Kate began, trying to buy time. "Jack tells it so much better than I do," she smirked at him.

Jack shot her a glare, quickly replaced by a loving smile before Jeff caught on. Laughing, he replied, "Come on, Kate, you know that's a lie. Go ahead, you tell him."

She had gotten them into this mess, after all.

She bit her lip in concentration, trying not to stall too long. "Well, we were bowling. Jack had taken his niece out for the day, and I was with my sister. I've never been great at bowling, and Jack seemed to think it was pretty funny. I noticed him laughing and confronted him, but apparently he just thought it was cute. We got to talking and..." she smiled, "The rest is history."

Jack had to give her credit for her quick thinking.

Jeff laughed. "Well, that's a good story. Me and my wife met at a bar. Try telling that one to the kids."

After he walked away to get water, Jack raised an eyebrow at Kate. "I hate bowling," he said under his breath, "And I don't have a niece. I'm an only child."

"I've never been bowling in my life," she whispered back, "And I don't have a sister."

Jack laughed, shaking his head.

"Well, what did you expect?" she asked him. "I needed to come up with something fast!"

"So you invented a sister? Wouldn't keeping it simple have been easier?" Meanwhile, in his head, Jack was imagining the scene. Kate coming over to him in a huff and him explaining that he wasn't making fun of her. Would he really have been bold enough to ask her on a date?

"When we get off this island, I'm taking you bowling," he stated.

"I thought you hated it?" She replied with a smile.

"You should get the chance to hate it too," he said, making her laugh.

"Well, thanks for the offer, Jack, but I don't know if that will be possible." Her eyes clouded over in the way they always did when her life off the island came up, and she was forced to think of her criminal past.

"I'll make it possible," he said softly, prompting a sad smile out of her. Before she could reply, Jeff came back over.

"We're running low on fruit," he informed them, holding out the nearly empty bag as evidence. "I'm going to go get more, anyone want to come?"

"I'll g-" Kat began, but Jack cut her off.

"Kate, I think you should stay here. It's dangerous." He tried to catch her eye, but all he got was a glare.

"Jack, I think I can handle climbing a tree," she retorted.

"Ah, a lover's quarrel," Jeff laughed. "You two sound married already!"

Kate's anger was replaced with shock. Jack almost would have laughed if he hadn't been surprised himself. Were they really acting like a married couple the one time they weren't trying to?

"I'll just go by myself, it'll be quick," Jeff assured them. "Besides, I haven't given the two of you much alone time," he added with a wink.

As he walked away, Kate rounded on Jack. "What was that about?"

"I wasn't talking about trees, Kate. He's the dangerous one. You said it yourself. I just don't want you out there alone with him," he explained in a hushed tone.

Her face softened. "You're right. I wasn't thinking." Her eyes met his and she gave him a small smirk. "You know, he was right."

"About what?" Jack asked in confusion.

"He hasn't really given us alot of time alone," she smiled, and he laughed as well.

"No, not alot at all," he agreed, moving towards her.

Kate closed the gap between them, standing on her tip-toes to kiss him. Their lips moved furiously against each other, having been unable to even touch each other for three days. Somehow, having just realized their feelings for each other, it made it harder for them to be separated.

Jack's hands tangled in her hair as Kate ran her own up and down his chest. They finally broke away for air, faces inches apart, their breath mingling together. The break didn't last long, however, and soon they were pressed against each other once again.

Kate let out a deep sigh as Jack's lips moved down to her neck. She tilted her head back to give him easier access, laughing lightly when she felt him sucking on one spot.

"What are you trying to do, leave evidence?" she teased.

Jack shrugged, not breaking contact. "Well... he does think... that we're engaged," he said in between kisses. He finally stopped what he was doing to smile at her. "Might as well give him some more proof."

Kate laughed again, but it soon turned to a gasp of pleasure as she felt him resume his actions. Maybe some evidence was just what she needed.

* * *

"Put Spencer on," Jeff demanded. He was angry, especially after having to play the nice guy for three days. He was a good actor, but the confusion was making him frustrated.

"Jeff, Ben will kill me," Tom argued.

"Just do it," Jeff told him. "I need information on Austen."

A few minutes later, Jeff heard a female voice fill the walkie. "Jeff?"

"Yeah, Spence, it's me," he told her. "I need to know if Austen and Shephard are engaged."

"If they are, I know at least one person who won't be happy," Spencer spat out. "But how am I supposed to know? She's been on the run for years, and I've been here. It's not like I've been having weekly chats with her. Not that I would, that bitch..."

"What did she do to you, Spencer?" Jeff asked.

"It's her fault I'm on this god damn island," Spencer snapped. "I would've never signed up if it hadn't been for what she did."

Realizing he wasn't about to get the whole story, he decided to move on. "So, you have no idea if she and Shephard are engaged?"

"If they are, they weren't alone on that trip. The _marshal_," her voice took on a bitter tone, "definitely had her in custody. Maybe he caught her and the fiancée decided to go with them, but you can bet your ass that Mars and Austen were together on that plane, whether Shephard was with them or not."

"Alright, Spencer, thanks. Oh, and uh, don't tell Ben about this little conversation," he requested.

"Of course not," her tone became superior. "Wouldn't want Ben to think you weren't capable of the job, now would we?"

* * *

Ten minutes later, Jeff came back, bag full of mangos and guavas. Jack and Kate had decided to go for a swim, and he waved to them from the beach.

"Hey," he called, "hungry?"

The pair walked over to the bag, grabbing the fruit that Jeff had collected. As they ate, Jack noticed something rustling in the bushes.

"What's that?" he asked, pointing in the direction of the movement.

"What's what?" Jeff asked, eyes widening when he saw where Jack was pointing. He recovered quickly, hiding his surprise. "I'll go check it out."

He walked in the direction Jack had gestured to, racking his brain along the way. He needed a story, and fast. He moved behind the bush, seeing two familiar faces.

"Danny, Tyler, what are you doing here?" he asked.

"Ben sent us, remember?" Tyler reminded him. Jeff sighed.

"Right, yeah. Look, I don't know how I'm going to explain you two," he told them.

"Then don't explain us," Danny said, "Let's just get over there and drag the two of them to camp. I've got the guns," he smiled, but the cruelest smile Jeff had ever seen.

"We don't know if they're really engaged yet!" Jeff exclaimed.

"They say they're engaged?" Danny asked. Jeff nodded. "The guy too?" Jeff nodded again. "If Shephard says they're engaged, you can be sure they are. No man lies about that."

"Why would they lie about that anyway?" Tyler asked.

"I don't know, but Ben will kill me if I'm wrong," Jeff told them, sneaking a glance over his shoulder. If Jack or Kate came over here, he was screwed.

"Trust me, they're engaged. Like I said, I don't know a guy that will pretend to be tied down to some woman. Was I going around telling people me and Colleen were engaged before we were? No." Danny shook his head. "Now let's go."

Jeff sighed. "Fine, I guess we don't have a choice. Just wait a minute, okay?"

He walked back to the couple, their confused expressions greeting them. "Don't worry, nothing important," he smiled.

"What do you mean by that?" Jack asked.

"Well, what I mean is they're not important." Jeff smirked. "Danny's an asshole and Tyler's a bit of an idiot."

More confused than ever, Kate let out an exasperated, "What?"

Her question was answered when two men came running over. Jack reached for his gun, but noticed it was gone. Jeff cocked his head. "Looking for this?" he asked, pulling the gun out of his own bag.

Before he could answer, Jack saw Kate fall to the ground, a dart sticking out of her neck. His mouth dropped in horror, but before he could respond everything went black.

* * *

_So, will we finally find out who Spencer is next chapter? I dropped a hint in this one. Also, reading back in previous chapters, there are hints that I didn't even mean to put in! _

_And don't think that because they're captured the fun stops. Now they not only have to fool Jeff about being engaged, but the whole Others camp!_

_By the way, if there are any specific Others you want to see, let me know. I'm currently debating Juliet, so please tell me if anyone wants her. _


	12. Bleed For You

_With a life on the line  
That consumes or refines  
To ascend or decline  
To retreat or to climb  
Out of sight out of mind  
Till attacked from behind  
Will this fire consume or refine  
-Justice and Mercy; Flyleaf_

As Jack's head began to clear, he became aware of the fact that he wasn't on the beach anymore. He struggled to get up, but felt binds constricting him. Panicking, he finally opened his eyes.

He was in the jungle, tied to a tree. He tried to open his mouth but no words came out. The taste of cloth told him that he had been gagged.

Then he remembered. Kate. He looked around, his head whipping furiously, and breathed a sigh of relief. If you could call it that, because his only relief was that she was alive. Her situation was similar to his, tied to the tree next to him.

His captors seemed to sense that he was conscious. Jeff turned the gun on Jack. "Awake?"

Jack tried to retort, but was reminded of the gag. Surprisingly, Jeff moved over and started to take the material from his mouth.

"What're you doing?" one of the other men asked. Jack recognized him as the one who had shot Kate with the dart, and he glared.

"Relax, Danny, I'm not untying him or anything yet. But we need him to talk." He finished with the gag, and Jack licked at his chapped lips.

The man, Danny, smirked. "Hey, Shephard. How are you feeling?"

Jack didn't answer. His gaze had gone back to Kate, who still remained unmoving. Turning to Jeff, he asked, "Is she okay?"

"She'll be fine," Jeff told him, and Jack thought he saw a flicker of sympathy in his eyes. But then again, he could have imagined it, because the next second his gaze had turned stony.

"Who are you?" Jack asked. "The truth this time."

The man who hadn't spoken yet moved forward. "I think we're giving you the wrong impression of us here. We don't normally tie people to trees. Well, not that often."

Danny shot him a look. "Shut up, Tyler."

"It doesn't matter who we are, Jack," Jeff said, ignoring the other two. "What matters is what you can do to help us."

As Jack was about to respond he heard a rustle a few feet from him. Turning sharply, he saw that Kate was beginning to stir.

"Kate," he exclaimed. She slowly turned toward him, and he could tell she was just as drowsy as he had been upon awakening. He struggled against his bonds, wanting to get to her, to make sure she was okay, but they held firm. "Are you alright?" he settled for asking.

She opened her mouth to speak, but quickly realized she was gagged. She settled on nodding, her eyes boring into Jack's.

"Enough of this reunion," Danny butted in. "If they're awake we can get moving."

"Okay, Jack, Kate, listen up," Jeff told them, as Tyler went over to remove Kate's gag. "We're walking to camp, which should take about two days if we keep a quick pace."

Danny cut both their ropes, leaving their hands tied behind their backs. Walking over to Kate, he slapped her hard across the face. She let out a gasp, and Jack turned on Danny. "What the hell?" he exclaimed, his eyes flashing with anger.

"Worse than that will happen if you even try to escape," he told Jack. "Since I'm sure threatening _you_ won't do any good, considering your 'heroic' record, I'll give you this. You try to run, she dies."

Jack looked at Kate, and he could see a red mark forming where she had been hit. He wasn't taking any chances.

"Clear?" Danny asked, and Jack reluctantly nodded. "Good. Now let's go."

They started to walk, Danny keeping his gun trained on Kate, and Jeff doing to the same to Jack. Jack could tell that Danny wasn't bluffing; he would shoot Kate without a second thought, so he made sure not to give him reason to.

Kate, however, seemed to have a different thought. "I don't think you'll kill me," she said, quietly but with confidence.

"Kate," Jack whispered, but she went on.

"You must need us for something, or else you wouldn't go through all this trouble. I don't think you'll do anything more than hit me." She looked nervous, but her voice never shook.

"Really?" Danny smirked. "You sure about that?"

Kate nodded, keeping firm eye contact with Danny to show that she was serious.

"Okay, Jeff, can you put your gun on Austen for a minute?" Danny asked.

"Why?" Jeff asked.

"Just do it," Danny demanded. Shooting him a confused look, Jeff did as he was asked. Danny stepped over to Jack, stopping about a foot in front of him. Jack considered backing up, but didn't want to let Danny think he was afraid.

Reaching swiftly into his pocket, Danny pulled out a knife. Kate gasped, stepping forward, but stopping when she heard the click of Jeff's gun. "Don't," she pleaded.

Turning to her, Danny gave her another smirk. Then, before anyone really knew what was happening, he slashed the knife against Jack's upper arm, leaving a deep cut.

"No!" Kate screamed, as tears began to pour from her eyes.

Jack let out a sharp cry of pain, breathing heavily. The blood poured steadily down his arm, but he could do nothing to stop it. His hands were tied.

"Are you crazy?" Jeff exclaimed. "Christ, Danny, we aren't supposed to do stuff like that unless its necessary."

"She needed to know that we were serious," Danny stated. "She's not gonna try anything now."

Kate continued to sob. "I'm so sorry, Jack. I am so, so sorry." She rounded on Jeff and Tyler. "Can't you do something to help him?"

They ignored her. "Danny, we need to talk," Jeff stated.

"About what?" Danny replied. Jeff just shook his head.

"Jack, Kate, stay here. If you try to move, well, I think you both know that he's not bluffing," Jeff told them.

The three men walked away, stopping at a spot close enough for them to still see Jack and Kate, but far enough that they wouldn't be heard.

Kate immediately walked over to Jack. "Oh my god," she whispered, examining his wound. "Jack..."

"It's okay," he told her, giving her a small smile. "It's not your fault."

"Yes, it is," she told him, a tear running slowly down her face. "I thought..."

He tried to reach up to wipe the tear away, but the ropes prevented him from doing so. Instead he bent down, pressing his lips to her cheek. He could taste the salt from her tears as he placed small kisses on her face. Finally, her mouth met his. They kissed slowly, her tears still falling onto their lips, until they heard the three men return.

"Here, Jack." Jeff tied a cloth around Jack's arm to stop the bleeding. "This should help."

It didn't help the pain, as his arm throbbed in protest to being put under even the slightest pressure. It did help the bleeding though, and Jack was thankful at least that he wouldn't bleed out.

They continued walking until the sun went down. They then made camp, and were finally fed. They untied Jack and Kate, but neither was stupid enough to try to escape. The guns sitting next to them were a constant reminder of their situation.

"We've decided to untie you while you sleep," Jeff told them. Danny rolled his eyes, making it clear he was overruled in this decision. "One of us will be up at all times to keep guard, so don't try anything."

The release from the rope felt great. Jack twisted his wrists around to relieve the tension.

"We don't have anything for you to sleep on," Danny told them. "So I guess you'll just have to make do."

Shooting him a glare, Jack lowered himself to the ground. Kate quickly followed him. "How's your arm?" she asked.

"It's good," he told her, which was a lie. Every time he moved it a sharp pain shot through him. She gave him a glance that told him she didn't believe him.

"Really, I'm fine." He turned his attention to their new task, finding a way to sleep. He took off his shirt, rolling it into a ball to use as a pillow. Kate glanced around, obviously not too keen on doing the same thing. Luckily, Jack had an idea.

He lay down, keeping his arm as steady as possible. Pulling Kate towards him, he gently nudged her head onto his chest. "I know I'm not the greatest pillow, but it's the best I can do," he told her.

She smiled, giving him a light kiss. "It's perfect." She curled into him, tilting her head up to give him another kiss, longer this time. They didn't break until their lungs screamed for air. Then Kate closed her eyes, trying to fall asleep.

Jack was pretty sure he wouldn't sleep that night. He wasn't comfortable taking his eyes off Kate for a minute, especially once Danny was on guard. So he adjusted himself, content to just lay with Kate in his arms.

* * *

Next Chapter: Others camp time!


	13. Conspiracy Theory

Okay, here's an update for you. I loved writing this chapter, so I hope it turned out good.  
You can expect:  
-a familiar face  
-a familiar food ;)  
-a rare Kate POV  
-and a certain someone's (coughspencercough) identity

* * *

_Explain to me  
this conspiracy against me  
and tell me how I've lost my power  
Where can I turn  
Cause I need something more  
Surrounded by uncertainty  
I'm so unsure  
-Conspiracy, Paramore  
_

They continued their trek for two more days, though without any major events. Jack and Kate quickly realized that Danny was not one to mess with, and he had the shortest temper of anyone they'd ever met. Jeff, however, surprised them by being sympathetic to their plight, and managing to calm down. Tyler, well, as Kate put it, he wasn't "the sharpest tool in the shed."

They knew they were close when they reached what seemed to be a gigantic electric fence. Jack and Kate kept walking, until they heard Jeff yell, "Stop! What are you trying to do, die?"

They quickly jumped back, not keen on finding out what the fence would do. "What are we supposed to do then, jump?" Jack asked, earning a glare from Danny for his sarcastic comment.

"Don't get smart, Shephard. No, you're not jumping. In fact, neither of you is doing anything." With that, he took out a syringe, and walked over to Jack. "Arm out," he demanded. Tyler quickly followed suit, taking out another syringe and approaching Kate.

"What's in that?" Jack asked warily.

"Enough with the questions," Danny snapped.

"I'm not letting you put anything in me, or Kate, until I know what it is," Jack insisted, earning a smile and look of gratitude from Kate.

"Don't worry, Jack. It'll just knock you out." Jeff told him.

"That's not supposed to make us worry?" Kate asked.

Rolling his eyes, Danny leaned forward and stuck the syringe into Jack's arm, his movement echoed by Tyler. Tyler gently lowered Kate to the ground, but Danny just let Jack fall.

Seeing Jeff glare, he shrugged. "Oops."

* * *

Blinking furiously, Jack struggled to regain consciousness. It was different than last time; because he could clearly remember being knocked out. Opening his eyes, he was shocked to find that he wasn't in a tent or in the jungle, but in what appeared to be a large room with a glass wall running through the center of it.

It didn't take him much longer to realize that there was a blonde woman on the other side of the glass.

"Hey!" he exclaimed, and she looked up from the file she was reading. Her mouth curved into a smile, and she stood, walking over to the glass.

"Hello, Jack. My name is Juliet."

He didn't care what the woman's name was. He didn't even care where he was. There was a much more pressing issue on his mind. "Where's Kate?"

"Don't worry, she's fine," Juliet said, though it didn't do much to assure him. "In fact, she's with a friend of mine right now."

"I don't care if they're your friend. I want to see Kate!" He yelled.

Juliet remained calm. "I told you, don't worry."

"Did they tell you we're engaged?" he asked. "What, I don't have the right to see my fiancée?" He was grasping at straws here, hoping that maybe something would spark a little sympathy in Juliet.

"You see, Jack, that's the problem," Juliet told him. "Apparently it's up for debate about whether or not you two are really engaged." Seeing his livid look, she continued, "Hey, I believe you. Weird thing to lie about, if you ask me. But they want to keep you apart for a while. I don't know what the plan is, but I guess we'll find out soon enough."

Jack punched at the glass, a desperate attempt to get his frustration out. Juliet didn't even flinch. "Don't bother," she said, "All that'll do is hurt your hand."

"So how long is this going to last? What do I need to do?" He finally broke down. "Please, how do I get to see her?"

Juliet frowned, seemingly feeling sorry for him. "I don't know. All I know is that I'm supposed to keep you here. I'm sure Kate will be fine."

"You need to eat, Jack," Juliet sighed, holding the grilled cheese in her hand. "Come on, just a few bites."

"I'm not touching anything until I can see Kate," he snapped. He felt slightly sorry for being so mean to Juliet, since she seemed to be trying really hard. She had left briefly, returning with the sandwich, but he was still refusing it.

She was silent, thinking intently. Finally, she shook her head in resignation. "I can't bring you to her," she told him. Before he could protest, she cut him off. "But, I can do something. We have cameras, so I'll show you what's happening."

He moved eagerly toward the glass, grateful just for proof that Kate was alive, but Juliet stopped him. "Just know that if you try to run, I'll have to shoot you." She gave him a small smile. "You wouldn't find her in here anyway."

She took out a pair of handcuffs and walked over to open the door for him. Jack wasn't stupid, and he wasn't about to try anything. He had seen what they were capable of, and he wasn't going to chance Kate getting hurt.

They walked down the hall and into a small room that held a large number of monitors. Juliet glanced over them, finally finding the one she was looking for. "Here," she pointed.

Jack peered at the black and white screen. He could make out the form of an unconscious Kate in what seemed to be a rec room. They watched for a while, Jack becoming impatient and worried, until a woman walked in. She approached Kate just as Kate began to wake up.

"Who's that?" Jack asked.

"I guess they decided to change the plan..." Juliet trailed off, seemingly confused.

The woman bent down and peered at Kate. Then, Jack witnessed a hand come in sharp contact with Kate's face.

"Hey!" he exclaimed. "You said she wouldn't get hurt."

Juliet looked just as shocked as he did. "She isn't supposed to."

* * *

"Hey, Kate." She heard the words distantly, but her head was spinning. The effects of whatever had been injected into her were beginning to wear off, and the shape of a woman was coming into focus. "Have a nice nap?" she spat out, before unexpectedly slapping Kate hard across the face.

"Ah!" Kate gasped, her hand coming up to rub her now sore cheek. "What the- who are you?" Glancing around, another question came to her. "Where's Jack?"

The woman stepped forward, giving Kate a smirk. She was strikingly beautiful, tall with red hair and piercing green eyes, but there was such a cruelty in her face that it made Kate shiver.

"Who am I?" the woman repeated, ignoring her question about Jack. "Well, we've never met, Kate, but I know all about you. I had to hear all about you, every single day. Do you know what that's like, having to hear about you every day?" She paused, eyes boring into Kate, "It's hell, especially when the person doing the talking is your husband!" she shouted.

The words hit Kate hard. She tried to think of what she might have done to this woman, but nothing came to mind. "I don't know what you're talking about," she stated.

It had earned her another sharp slap. Crying out, she glared at the other woman. "What is wrong with you?"

There was no response. The woman just continued to look down at her like she was something disgusting. Then, "You really have no idea?" She shook her head. "Okay, why don't I tell you my name? Spencer. That ring any bells?"

Spencer. As much as she wished she could, Kate couldn't think of anyone she knew named Spencer. But then, she didn't really know this woman, did she? She only knew her husband, according to her.

Spencer glared at her, waiting for an answer. "No," Kate replied.

A harsh laugh echoed through the room. Now that Kate took the time to look around, it struck her as almost funny that these horrifying events were taking place in a rec room.

"No, you wouldn't know anything about me, would you? He wouldn't have mentioned me, at least not by name, for sure. He might have mentioned 'the wife', but I doubt he was telling you about my life. So, tell me, how would you feel if your husband was in love with another woman? And he didn't even realize it, so he felt free to talk about her? Come on, think of Jack. What if I told you he wanted someone else?"

Even though he wasn't her real fiancée, the idea made Kate's heart sink. They had grown close, almost too close for her liking, but now she had learned to enjoy it. Maybe letting people in wasn't always such a bad thing after all.

It must have shown what she thought of the idea, because Spencer spoke up. "You wouldn't like it, would you? Well, I lived it."

There was one obvious question, but Kate was almost afraid to ask it. She didn't want to know.

"It's funny, really," Spencer continued. "Even in his last moments alive, he was with you. Well, at least he died happy," she bit out.

Gathering all her courage, Kate asked the question she was dreading the answer to. She knew who she thought it would be, as she had never met Tom's wife. Maybe this woman blamed her for his death as much as she blamed herself.

"Who's your husband?"

* * *

"Shit," muttered Juliet, watching the scene on the monitor. There was no sound, so they couldn't tell what was being said. They could, however, tell that Kate looked scared and Spencer was furious.

"Do something!" Jack exclaimed. "She might hurt her!"

Juliet pulled out her walkie, shaking her head in dismay. "Jeff?" she called into it. "Can you hear me?"

A few seconds pause, then, "Juliet?"

"Yeah," Juliet replied. "What the hell is Spencer doing with Austen?"

"What do you mean?" Jeff asked. "I thought Ben said that she was going with Tyler, not Spencer."

Juliet leaned against the wall, closing her eyes. "Ben lied," she replied hatefully. "Spencer has Austen and she's about an inch away from killing her." She saw Jack tense and added, "Well, not really killing her, but.. just get in there. They're in the rec room."

She ended the call, turning to Jack. "Don't worry. Jeff will get Spencer away from her."

They turned back to the monitor to see what appeared to be Kate asking a question. Spencer paused, then opened her mouth to say something. What came out must have been a shock, because Kate's face radiated surprise.

* * *

"My husband?" Spencer laughed bitterly. "You mean my ex-husband, thanks to you." She gave another cruel smile, before answering Kate's question with an answer she hadn't seen coming.

"Edward Mars. "

* * *

Dun dun dun! We all know that Edward Mars is the marshals name, right? Okay, good. Also, I'm proud to say that NOBODY guessed Spencer's connection to Kate. So, will Jeff get there before Spencer beats Kate to a pulp? And the details about Spencer and Edward's marriage will be revealed.

please leave a review! I'm in need of a little cheering up lately!


	14. Feel the Weapon Sensation

_I actually had this done a few days ago, but my laptop broke. I just finally got access to my other computer, so here you go ;)

* * *

_

In this farewell  
there's no blood  
There's no alibi  
'Cause I've drawn regret  
From the truth  
of a thousand lies  
-What I've Done, Linkin Park

"Edward... Edward Mars?" Kate repeated in shock.

"Do I need to spell it out for you?" Spencer retorted. "Yes, Edward Mars. Or, as you probably know him, Agent Mars."

Kate shook her head. "I don't understand. The only times I ever met him were the two times he captured me. He wasn't in love with me."

Spencer gave her another chill inducing smile. "He didn't have to see you. He was in love with the idea of you, the chase. And all I ever heard about is how he'd do anything to catch Kate Austen."

Kate closed her eyes. She had always believed that the marshal's interest in her was borderline obsessive, but love?

"So, I finally left him," Spencer went on. "Even though I was still in love with him, I couldn't stand to see him so infatuated with another woman. He didn't understand, but I filled him in. Told him exactly why I was leaving him, and he didn't take it very well. I think it made him even more determined to find you."

"Look," Kate told her. "I'm sorry about your husband, but I don't see how this is my fault. I never did anything to make him want me. All I did was run."

"Exactly," Spencer shook her head slowly. "That's exactly what he loved. He knew he couldn't have you, and it made him want you that much more." She paused again. "I didn't really want a divorce. When I left him, I just wanted him to realize how much he would miss me. It didn't work. He told me that I was right, and that he was sorry for everything."

Her eyes had begun to take on the angry look they had first held when Kate woke up. "The bastard divorced me! And he still loved you!" She took a deep breath, as if trying to calm down. "So when I saw a research project that needed volunteers, I thought it would be the perfect time to leave. I've always loved science, and I never wanted to see Ed again. Do you know where that 'research project' brought me, Kate? Here!" She shouted, shaking by now. She took yet another deep breath, trying to steady herself.

"And now I can't leave. All I wanted to go back home and try and work things out with my husband. But no, because of you, I'm here and he's dead!" She reached into her back pocket, and Kate let out a gasp as the gun was pointed at her face. "So, Kate, I'm afraid I'm going to have to kill you."

* * *

Meanwhile, Jack and Juliet looked on in the monitor room. They saw that Spencer was talking, and impatiently waited for Jeff to get there.

"Come on, Jeff," Juliet muttered under her breath.

Suddenly, Spencer pulled out the gun. "Jesus!" Jack shouted. "What the hell is taking him so long?"

"I don't... I don't know," replied Juliet.

"Take me to wherever Kate's being held," Jack demanded.

"I can't do that, Jack," Juliet replied.

"Damn it, Juliet, I'm not going to sit here and watch her die!" He yelled.

"By the time we get there, it'll be too late," she snapped, then seemed to realize she had used such a harsh tone. "I'm sorry, Jack, but we just have to wait for Jeff."

Jack paced back and forth, wracking his brain for ideas. Suddenly, he thought of something.

"Does Spencer have one of those walkies?" Jack asked.

"She should," Juliet replied.

"Well, call her! Distract her until Jeff can get there," he demanded.

Juliet quickly pulled out her walkie, pressing some buttons into it. Finally a crackling voice was heard. "What?"

Jack looked the monitor, and saw that Spencer had the walkie to her mouth, gun still trained on Kate.

"Spencer? It's Juliet," she told her, trying to keep her voice steady. "I need some help with Shephard, he's being difficult."

At Jack's sharp look, Juliet shook her head to tell him she was bluffing. Relief filled him as he realized she wasn't backstabbing him.

"I'm a little bit occupied right now," Spencer replied.

"Spence, I really need your help!" Juliet told her, raising her voice in mock fear. "He's out of control!"

For emphasis, she took out her gun and fired three shots into the wall, the sound echoing through the room. In the walkie, they could hear a distant shout of "No!"

It was Kate, Jack realized, and she thought he was dead. Jack widened his eyes at Juliet, and then returned his gaze to the monitor. Kate was sobbing in the corner, and he could hear her cries through the walkie.

"Kate!" he shouted, and he could see her startled face on the monitor. Juliet turned to him, mouth gaping, and he realized what he had done. Spencer was now aware that they knew she had Kate.

"Damn it," Juliet muttered, turning off the walkie. She tilted her head back and closed her eyes.

"Why can't we go after her?" Jack asked. "It can't take that long, and it's better than nothing!"

"Because we're not on the same island!" Juliet exclaimed. "We're on a smaller island off the coast, and she's on the main one. Jeff's already over there, but there's no way we would get there in time!"

Jack dropped his head into his hands helplessly. "She's going to die, isn't she?" he said weakly. "Who is that woman?"

"Spencer," Juliet replied. "She's usually a pretty decent person, so I don't understand why she's trying to kill your friend."

"Fiancée," Jack corrected her, forgetting for a moment that it wasn't true.

Juliet gave him a look of sympathy. "I'm sorry."

Jack just closed his eyes, hating the fact that there was nothing he could do. "How long does it take to get to the other island?" he asked, in one last attempt.

"To where she's being held? Almost a day," she replied with a frown, and he felt his last hope being shattered.

"So there's no way-" Jack stopped midsentence, staring at the monitor. "Look!"

While Spencer had just been talking most of the time, he had kept an eye on the monitor. Now, looking back, he saw Jeff sneaking up behind her.

The both dashed towards the monitor, faces inches away from the screen. "What's he going to do?" Jack asked.

"He won't kill her," Juliet replied. "But he might-"

She didn't need to finish her sentence. Jeff raised his gun and shot Spencer in the leg, sending her falling to the ground. He quickly ran over and took her gun away.

Jack collapsed into the chair, breathing heavily. Juliet smiled at him. "She's okay now. Jeff will take care of her."

Jack sat up. "No. I need to see her. I don't care how long it takes, we'll get there."

"Jack, I can't bring you there," Juliet said regretfully.

"I'll do anything. Anything you want," he pleaded.

Her face took on a thoughtful look. "Really?" she said slowly. "Would you be willing to do me a favor?"

"Anything," Jack confirmed.

Juliet smiled. "Okay then. But I need your word that you won't back out, no matter what it is."

"What do you want me to do?" Jack asked warily.

"Just promise me, Jack," Juliet replied.

"Fine, okay. Just take me to Kate."

* * *

Kate waited impatiently for Jeff to untie her, tears running down her face. Spencer sat in the corner, her own hands and legs now tied.

"I'm really sorry about this," Jeff told her awkwardly, and she nodded.

"Where's Jack?" she asked. All she could think about were the gunshots she had heard and him calling her name. "I need to talk to him."

"I don't-" Jeff started, but Kate interrupted.

"Your walkie. Please?" she asked. Jeff nodded reluctantly, dialing something than handing her the walkie.

"Hello?" came a woman's voice.

"Are you with Jack?" she asked shakily, hoping she wasn't speaking to his murderer.

"Kate!" She heard his voice in the distance, then closer as he seemed to now hold the walkie. "You're okay?"

She took a shaky breath, thrilled to be hearing his voice. "Yeah, Jack, are you? I heard gunshots."

"I know; it was a trick. We were trying to hold that woman off," he told her.

"You know about her?" she asked in confusion.

"We saw the whole thing on a monitor." His voice got lower, and began to tremble slightly. "I thought she was going to kill you."

"I thought you were dead too," she told him, the tears returning suddenly.

"I'm coming Kate, tomorrow afternoon at the latest. I promise, I won't let anything happen to you." His voice radiated confidence that hadn't been there before, and she felt herself smile.

"Okay," she replied. "Be careful."

"You too," he responded. "I'm giving the walkie back to Juliet now, but I'll see you soon, okay?"

"Yeah," she agreed. "Goodbye, Jack."

"Bye, Kate."

* * *

Sorry about the lack of jate interaction, but there will be plenty next chapter. And for those concerned, I think I've gotten rid of any worry about jacket happening here. But I promise, THERE WILL BE NO JACKET :)


	15. Hidden People, Hidden Feelings

_I kind of thought I already put this up, but I guess not! Well, here it is now. :

* * *

_

You're not alone  
There is more to this, I know  
You can make it out  
You will live to tell  
-You're Not Alone, Saosin

It took almost a day, but Jack and Juliet had finally reached the barracks. The entire time, through the boat ride and hiking through the jungle, Jack had worried about Kate. There was no way of knowing whether Jeff had decided to turn on them, or if Spencer somehow got free.

"We're here," Juliet announced, and Jack had to stop in shock at seeing this seemingly normal town in the middle of the jungle.

"Are you sure we're still on the island?" he asked incredulously.

Juliet laughed. "Yes, I'm sure. Now we just have to find Kate."

Jack snapped back into reality. "Where's the rec room?"

"This way." Quickly, the pair made their way to the building where they had seen Kate on the monitor.

But they were not met with the sight of Kate, Jeff, or Spencer. The room was empty.

"Where is she?" Jack exclaimed, eyes searching the room in case they had somehow missed something.

"It's been almost twenty-four hours, Jack." Now that he looked at her, he could see that Juliet was exhausted. He had insisted on not stopping the whole way here. "They might have moved her. I'll get Jeff on the walkie."

She punched in some buttons, and Jeff's voice came through. "Hey."

"Jeff, where's Austen?" Juliet asked.

"Oh, right. Umm.. I tried my hardest, but-"

"Where is she, Jeff?" Juliet's voice took on a low and dangerous tone.

He sighed. "Ben's house. The basement."

"Son of a bitch," Juliet cursed, squeezing her eyes shut. "Okay, well, where's Spencer? There's no way that she could get to Austen there, right?"

"No, she's on her way back to the other island. They need to..Uh.. remove the bullet," he laughed.

"Okay, I have to go. Bye, Jeff". Juliet switched off the walkie.

"We have a problem," Juliet sighed. "She's in Ben's house, and he basically controls everything that goes on. Now, I'm sure he hasn't hurt her, but it's going to be more difficult to get to her."

"Are you kidding?" Jack bit out. It seemed as if everything that could possibly go wrong had done just that.

"I'll see what I can do," Juliet told him. "I think I know a way to get you in to see her."

They left the rec room, quickly making their way to one of the many identical houses. Juliet knocked loudly on the door, intensifying the knocks when there was no answer.

Finally the door swung open. "Yes?" asked the man.

"Ben, I know you have Austen," Juliet told him.

"Well, no small talk, I guess. Straight to to point. Anyway, I don't know how that intrests you," Ben replied.

"Shephard wants to see her," she explained, and Jack stepped forward.

Ben furrowed his brow. "Who told you to bring him here?" he demanded.

"No one. He wants to see his fiancée."

"And why should I allow that?" Ben smirked.

Juliet gave a smirk to match his. "Because if you don't, Shephard won't do your surgery."

Jack gave her a surprised look, but quickly covered for it when she widened her eyes at him.

Ben frowned. "Very well then," he muttered, opening the door. He led them to the stairs, opening the door and showing a dark room. "Juliet, you stay here with me."

The light flickered on, and Jack caught a glimpse of Kate. She was huddled in the corner, arms wrapped around herself.

"Kate!" he exclaimed, reaching her in a few quick strides. He distantly heard the door click shut behind him.

"Jack?" Kate looked up, her eyes bleary, apparently from having been asleep. When she realized he was really there, she sprung to her feet.

He instantly wrapped his arms around her, feeling her body shake with sobs. He held her tight, rubbing her back and kissing the top of your head.

"I didn't think they would actually let you come," she admitted, finally having calmed down. "Are you..?" She looked him up and down, searching for any scratch or scrape be my have obtained.

"I'm okay," he assured her, "I'm just glad that you're okay too."

They moved to sit down, her practically in his lap.

"What's going on, Jack?" Kate asked, eyes wide.

Jack shook his head. "I have no idea," he admitted. "But I'll get us out of here somehow."

Kate smiled at him, leaning in to meet his lips with hers in a soft kiss. "I'm just glad that you're here."

Suddenly, the door was pushed open. "Juliet has just informed me of what you want in exchange for operating," Ben snapped. Jack caught a glimpse of Juliet, who raised an eyebrow.

"She did?" Jack asked, trying to sound casual when in reality he had no idea what the man was talking about.

"Yes. And I've agreed. If you operate, I'll let you and Kate go," he told him, and Jack felt as if a weight had been lifted off his chest.

"Now don't get your hopes up. I'm not letting you off the island," Ben told him. "There were other survivors from your crash. I'll send you to them."

Jack felt his relief being swept away. "I'm not doing it unless we get off the island," he told him determinedly.

Ben sighed. "I can't let you off right away. There are some issues concerning travel between here and the mainland."

Jack wasn't sure whether to believe him, but he saw Juliet nod. "He's telling the truth, Jack. But don't worry; the second that the issues are fixed, we'll get you off."

"How do we know we can trust you?" Kate asked, eyeing Juliet warily.

Before Juliet could reply, Jack turned to Kate. "She's the reason I'm here. And she's the reason you're not dead. We can trust her."

"Okay," Kate agreed.

"So, when exactly am I supposed to do this surgery?" Jack asked.

"I think tomorrow should be good," Ben replied. "Unless you have other plans," he smirked.

"And if I don't do it?" Jack asked.

"Kate dies," Ben informed him simply, and Jack knew his mind was made up. There was no way he could not do the surgery. Before he could respond, Ben left the room, leaving Juliet behind.

"I don't even know what kind of surgery I'm supposed to be doing," Jack reminded her.

"He has a tumor on his spine. You're a spinal surgeon. Let's just say he got lucky," Juliet explained bitterly. "I have to go. I'll come by before the surgery."

"So we just stay here?" Kate asked.

Juliet nodded. "See you tomorrow," she said, and then departed from the basement.

As soon as she left, Kate crawled back into his arms. "I missed you," she told him.

"I missed you too," he replied.

She straddled his lap, her face mere inches away from his. She leaned in, capturing his lips with hers after not being able to for days. Her mouth moved slowly against his, as he wrapped his arms tightly around her. She broke away gently, smiling at him.

"I missed that too," she said with a small smirk. He laughed, placing another light kiss to her lips.

"I'll get us off of this island, I promise," he told her. He was surprised to see her eyes darken.

"Jack.." she started. He tried to make eye contact, but she looked away.

"What's the matter?" he asked.

"It's just..." she blushed, looking at the floor. "Once we get off this island, what will happen to us?"

It wasn't what he was expecting. He was actually relieved that that was all she had to tell him. "Well," he began, and she finally looked up at him. He could see the fear in her eyes. "I plan to get you one hell of a lawyer, first of all."

She broke into a smile, laughing as a single tear escaped. He wiped it away, smiling in return.

"I'm not going to just forget about you. And I hope you won't just forget about me."

She cocked her head, giving him a mock surprised look. "How could I forget about my fiancée?"

He chuckled, kissing her softly. He began to pull back, but was stopped by Kate leaning further forward, not allowing him to break the kiss. He smiled against her mouth, and felt her arms wrap around his neck.

To his shock, he felt a strong urge to tell her he loved her. He knew it was true after all they had been through. Why else would her almost dying make him want to die himself? They had only known each other for two months, but he had a strong feeling that this was real.

But he didn't say it. How would she respond? What if it scared her off? He couldn't be sure it wouldn't, especially after all she had told him about her past.

So instead, he focused on the task at hand, trying to pour all his feelings for her into a kiss.


	16. So Let's Play Doctor, Babe

**Sorry this took forever to update but I've been extremely busy and working on another oneshot as well. The next chapter should be up much quicker.**_

* * *

_

_Would you believe me if I said I didn't need you,  
'cause I wouldn't believe you if you said the same to me.  
And near death, last breath, and barely hanging on.  
Would you believe me if I said I didn't need you?  
-Skeptics and True Believers, The Academy Is..._

When he woke up the next morning, the first thing Jack noticed was the ache in his back from sleeping in a sitting position. The second thing he noticed was that Kate, still sleeping, had her head resting in his lap.

It made him smile, finally being back with her after the recent events. She looked so peaceful while she was sleeping that he almost didn't wake her , content to just watch her sleep. However, he wasn't sure what time it was, and he wanted to talk to her before the surgery.

"Kate?" He shook his knee gently. She began to stir, and he bent down to kiss her lightly. He was surprised when she immediatly deepened it, reaching up to hold his head where she wanted him. He couldn't help but laugh, and she broke away.

"What?" she asked with a smirk.

"Just thought you'd be a little more tired," he said.

Kate laughed. "You make a pretty good pillow, Jack. Did you sleep like that all night?"

"It was okay," he lied, trying to ignore the shooting pain in his back. His smile turned to a grimace, and she raised an eyebrow at him.

"Really?"

He laughed, admitting that she caught him. "Don't worry about it."

They were both quiet, before Kate brought up the subject they had both been dreading. "Are you ready for the surgery?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," he told her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

"You shouldn't have to do it," she looked up at him. "You don't have to do it."

"Yes, I do," he said forcefully. "You think I'm gonna let them hurt you? No, I'm doing this surgery, and we're going to get out of here. Maybe once we get to the other people, we can make a plan to get off the island."

She smiled at him. "Okay," she whispered, laying her head against his chest.

Suddenly, the door flew open. Juliet entered, then froze. "Am I interupting something?" she asked, looking mildly uncomfortable.

Jack sighed. "It's fine. What's going on?"

"I have to ask you something," she began slowly, "and I'm sure you'll say no, but I have to ask anyway."

"What is it?" Kate prompted.

Juliet took a deep breath. "During the surgery, I need you to-"

She was cut off by a second person entering the room. "Ah, I see you had no problem letting yourself in," Ben addressed Juliet. Turning to Jack, he added, "Are you ready?" Jack knew his answer didn't matter.

Jack looked at Juliet, who had her head bowed, looking slightly crestfallen. Her look told him not to mention what she had been about to say.

"Yeah," Jack answered.

"Alright then," Ben gave what could be considered a smile, but not by many people's standards. "Kate, you stay here."

"No," Jack cut in. "I want her where I can see her."

"I think Miss Austen will be an unnecessary distraction," Ben insisted. "We'd be much better off if she waited... elsewhere."

"I'm staying with Jack," Kate said determindly.

Ben let out a sigh. "Fine then, I don't have time for this. You can stay in the observing area. You'll have a fine view of Jack."

Kate nodded, realizing that was probably as good as it would get.

"Well, we should be on our way," Benn suggested, and the other three reluctantly followed, Jack and Kate trailing in the back.

"If they do anything, anything to you..." he stressed in a harsh whisper-

"Don't worry, I'll be fine," she assured him, not wanting him to be distracted during the surgery. "The faster this is over, the faster we get off the island."

The walk to the operation room was quick, too quick for Jack's liking. As Ben showed Kate where to go, his stomach sank, even though she would be close enough to see.

"Good luck," she told him, giving him a peck on the lips before following Ben's direction.

The surgery went smoothly, Jack trying his hardest to keep concentrated and stop looking up at Kate. Everytime he looked to the observation window, he was afraid that she would no longer be there, but she always was, smiling reasurringly at him.

While he was angry to be helping the people that had put he and Kate through so much in the past week, he couldn't risk putting Kate's life in danger by not going through with it. So he trudged on, completing the surgery without much incident.

After the surgery, Jack and Kate were sent back to Ben's house to wait until he woke up.

"Why?" Jack had asked Jeff. "He said we could leave, can't we just go?"

"Ben controls what goes on around here," Jeff informed him, "and no one wants to upset Ben."

"Why would it upset him?" Kate asked. "He's the one who said we could leave."

Jeff just shrugged. "Everything upsets Ben."

So they were led back to the basement to wait for the anesthesia to wear off. Jack paced the floor, and Kate followed him with her eyes.

"You okay?" she asked when the pacing didn't stop.

He sighed, finally dropping to sit beside her. "I just thought we'd be out of here by now. If he goes back on what he said.." Jack trailed off, leaning his head against the wall.

Kate rested her head on his shoulder. "We don't know how things work around here, maybe he'll just... let us go," she suggested without much conviction.

Jack let out a light laugh. "Maybe."

Sensing his uneasiness, Kate lifted her head from his shoulder. She inched closer to him, then reached up to pull his head down to meet hers. Keeping her eyes trained on his, faces a mere few inches away, she spoke again. "We _will_ get out of this."

As much as he wanted to believe her, Jack was still skeptical. "How do you know that?" he said softly.

"I don't," she admitted, "But I have you, and I think we'll be okay."

He smiled, glad for her faith in them. She never seemed to put her trust in one person, so he was touched that she actually found him to be trustworthy.

He closed the gap between them by capturing her lips with his. The kiss was slow and deep, more meaningful than any they had previously shared. Jack reached up to stroke her cheek gently with his thumb, her own hands still holding a firm grip on his head.

Breaking away, Jack placed one more kiss on her cheek. "You're amazing, you know that?" he whispered into her neck, where he was planting soft kisses.

"Yeah, sure," she scoffed.

"I mean it," he insisted, looking up to meet her eyes. "I don't know what I would have done without you through all of this."

Kate smiled, her eyes watery, and leaned forward with another gentle kiss. "Thank you," she said quietly, her voice cracking with the effort of trying to hold back tears.

"For what?" he replied.

"For treating me... like a person. Like more than a person," she smiled, blushing, "Like you care about me."

"I do care about you," he told her. "I care about you alot."

Her smile widened. "Well, I care about you too," she replied.

"Good to know," he supplied, burying his face back in her neck, determined to make the most of the alone time they had before Ben was ready for them.

Unfortunatly, that time was cut short. He felt Kate's grip on his head tighten, and her let out an "oh!" Then he heard the door open, and his head shot up.

Juliet was standing there, looking extremely uncomfortable this time. "Do you two ever keep your hands off each other?" she askeed with a raised eyebrow.

Kate blushed as Jack hurred to change the subject. "Is Ben awake."

The smile that had crept onto Juliet's face after the initial shock faded slightly. "Yeah, everything's gone... perfectly."

Something in her tone told Jack there was more to the story. "What were you going to ask me earlier?"

"I was going to ask you to kill him," she said casually, as if it weren't at all astounding. She turned to leave, adding over her shoulder. "He's upstairs in his room when you're ready."

Jack and Kate glanced at each other incredulously, before heading up the stairs. They found their way to a room where Ben was laying in a bed, eyes still somewhat droopy.

"Well, I guess we can all see you did your job," Ben said softly. "I suppose I have to let you go."

"I guess you do," Jack replied.

"Alright then," Ben sighed, closing his eyes. "Tell Jeff to bring you to the other survivors. Once our communication with off the island is reinstored we will contact you."

"Contact us?" Kate repeated. "Or kidnap us again?"

Ben let out a soft chuckle. "No, I don't think that will be necessary."

The two of them left his room, spotting Juliet on the way out. "What was that about?" Jack asked her.

"Shh," she insisted sharply, jerking her head in the direction of Ben's room. They all went outside, then Juliet turned to them. "It doesn't matter now, it's over. Just drop it."

Taken aback, Jack nodded. "Fine."

Juliet took out her walkie. "Jeff, I need you to take Austen and Shephard back to the other survivors."

"They still at Ben's house?" he asked.

"We're right outside," Juliet replied.

"I'll be right there," he said.

Jeff was there within minutes. "You two ready?" he asked.

Jack and Kate shared a glance. "Yeah," Kate agreed. "Let's get out of here."

"I guess this is goodbye then," Juliet spoke up. "I doubt I'll see you again."

"You're not going to leave the island with us? You're not happy here" Jack insisted. "Don't you want to leave?"

Juliet sighed. "More than anything." But she wouldn't divulge any further.

Soon Jack, Kate, and Jeff were on their way. "At least now I'm bringing you back, right?" Jeff joked. "No hard feelings?"

Jack and Kate laughed. Jeff had to be the nicest person the had encountered at the Others camp. It was a relief, because they could be sure he was actually taking them where he claimed.

"Do you know anything about them?" Kate asked. "The other survivors?"

"Not much," Jeff replied. "Just that they don't like my people."

They were no more than three hours into the walk when they heard a rustle in the bushes. Before they knew it, a gun was pointed at them, alternating between the three. "Don't move."


	17. Whispered Confessions

I got this one up quick! It was amazingly easy to write, and I hope you enjoy it. I got to write one of my favorite characters that I haven't been able to in a long time, so it was fun for me. I'm sure it will be obvious who that is as you read this chapter! _

* * *

_

_So make me this promise, yeah?  
Say it with an object tone  
Emotion feeling, can't stop spinning  
Just keep breathing, say you need me  
-Just Keep Breathing, Automatic Loveletter_

Jack took a hesitant step forward. "I said don't move!" snapped the woman standing in front of him. But for some reason, she seemed so familiar.

Then it dawned on him. "Ana Lucia?"

She raised an eyebrow, looking him up and down. He was filthy, hadn't shaved, and had probably lost some weight since she had last seen him. Still- "Jack?"

He breathed a sigh of relief, and she lowered her gun. Kate looked back and forth between the two of them, before finally turning to Jack. "You know her?" she asked incredulously.

"We met at the airport," he explained. "She was on our plane."

"She's with you?" Ana asked, nodding her head towards Kate, her guard still up.

"Yeah," Jack agreed. Then Ana Lucia's gaze went to Jeff, who had remained unusually quiet. "And him? He was on the plane?"

"No," Jack began, "he's-"

Her gun was back in position, aimed at Jeff's chest. "Are you one of them?" Ana interrupted, her voice coming out in a growl like manner.

"Yes, but you don't need to shoot me," he tried, flinching as she clicked the safety off.

"Ana, stop," Jack ordered. "He's helping us."

She ignored him. "Where are the kids?" she demanded. "What did you do to them?"

"What kids?" he asked, but jumped when she straightened the arm that held the gun. "Oh, Zach and Emma? I wasn't involved with them, but I can assure you that they're okay."

"They're ok? I'm supposed to believe that?" she raised her voice, eyes narrowing.

"Put the gun down," Jack told her. "Shooting him isn't going to help."

"No!" Ana shouted. "They kidnapped almost half of our group, and you expect me to let him go free?"

"He wasn't responsible, Ana," Kate told her. "He was with us most of the time."

"Besides," Jeff began, giving her a knowing look. "Haven't you already gotten your revenge?"

A flash of what might have been guilt passed over Ana Lucia's face. Reluctantly, she lowered the gun, still casting glares at Jeff. "Fine."

"Is she one of the people you were bringing us to?" Kate asked Jeff, who shook his head.

"Actually, no. She was in the tail section of your plane. I was bringing you to the middle section. They're camped out on the beach."

"What?" Ana Lucia asked, shock written across her face. "There are more survivors?"

"Yes," Jeff told her. "There's alot more."

"Are you the only one from the tail section?" Kate asked Ana.

"No," she told them. "There's more back at our camp. I was getting firewood."

"I guess this is where I leave," Jeff told them. "It may not be the group I was taking you to, but you'll be fine with them."

"Okay," Jack agreed.

"Thanks, Jeff," Kate added.

"Anytime," he responded, and then went on his way.

"How can you trust them?" Ana asked incredulously, as Jeff disappeared through the trees.

"We don't," Jack told her, "but Jeff saved Kate's life, so we figure he can't be too dangerous."

She nodded. "So, what, did you two meet after the crash?" Ana Lucia asked.

Neither knew what to say. They had been living the lie of being engaged for so long that it almost escaped from both of their mouths. Now, however, it wasn't really necessary, and Ana Lucia had seen Jack before the flight. She knew that he had boarded the flight alone.

"Umm..." Jack began. "Well, yeah. We were sitting next to each other on the plane. But, the thing is..."

"They think we're engaged," Kate finished. "The people that live here. And we'd rather not have them find out that's a lie."

Ana Lucia raised her eyebrows, smirking at them. "So you've been playing an engaged couple." She nodded to herself. "That's... interesting."

"I guess so," said Jack. "But I think it's best if we continue with it."

The statement surprised Kate, who thought that he would want to drop the act the second they were free. "Really?" she asked.

Jack gave a shy smile, hoping she didn't think he was crazy. "Well, the less people that know the truth, the less chance that the others will find out that it's a lie."

Kate nodded in agreement, although she couldn't help but feel a slight pang. It was stupid, really. Obviously he wouldn't want to act like an engaged couple just for the hell of it. She shook the thought from her mind, flashing a smile. "Good idea."

"Fine," Ana shrugged. "I won't say a word."

"Thanks," Jack replied. "So, how far is it back to your camp?"

"Not too far from here," Ana replied. "We might as well get going now, I can get firewood later."

They began their walk back to Ana Lucia's camp. Jack and Kate walked alongside each other, both nervous about meeting the other survivors. Eyeing Kate, Jack could sense her nervousness. He reached out to grab her hand and gave it a quick squeeze, earning a smile in return.

They were shocked when Ana Lucia led them to a door that seemed to be dug into the ground. "Home sweet home," she remarked sarcastically, then pulled the door open.

It was a cold, empty room that housed what seemed to be about ten or fifteen people. They all looked up with wide eyes as Jack and Kate walked in.

"Meet our new roommates," said Ana Lucia, and then proceeded to introduce them to all of the other survivors.

Once everything settled down, Jack and Kate went to sit by Ana Lucia and a blonde woman they remembered to be named Libby.

"So, you two were the only survivors from the front of the plane?" Libby asked.

"Yeah," Jack replied. "It's been a long month."

"You're so lucky that both of you survived. I mean, what are the chances that not only you survive, but your fiancé too?"

Jack and Kate exchanged a smile. "I guess we just got lucky," Kate said.

Ana Lucia piped up. "As interesting as that all is, I'd like to hear about your time with _them_."

They launched into a description of their time with the others, but Ana still didn't seem satisfied.

"You're sure you didn't see any kids?" she asked.

"Positive," Kate replied. "We barely saw anyone."

Ana Lucia let out a defeated sigh before leaning back against the wall. "I'm going to bed," she said. "We have a few extra blankets, and a pillow, so just do your best," she added to Jack and Kate.

She left to make herself comfortable, and most of the other survivors followed her lead, laying down and closing their eyes. "Good night," Libby said with a smile, before joining the rest of the group.

Jack and Kate began to build a make-shift bed out of their limited supplies. "It's too bad we had to leave all of our things on the beach," Kate commented, eyeing the one pillow warily.

Jack followed her gaze. "It's yours," he offered, gesturing toward the pillow.

"We'll share it," Kate told him, knowing that it wouldn't be comfortable, but it would at least be better than no pillow at all.

"Thanks," he smiled, and they finished laying out the pillow and blankets. The hard ground wasn't exactly comfortable, but it was better than what they'd had during their time with the Others.

As they lay down to sleep, Kate turned to face Jack, so close that their faces were almost touching. "I don't think we're getting rescued," she whispered, her breath hitting his face.

"Doesn't look like it," he agreed, trying not to look too defeated.

"Maybe that's okay," she said softly. "The second we get off this island, we're going to be separated, and I don't think I'm ready for you to go."

He smiled, leaning forward to kiss her lightly on the lips. "I promise, even if we get rescued, I'm not going to leave you. You need to believe me."

She had a slight frown, but still she nodded. "It's just that you'd be the first person to ever stick around."

His heart sank, and he had to wonder how so many people could just abandon her. Seeing her now, in the dim lighting, she looked so vulnerable. Although most of the time she acted strong and independent, couldn't anyone else see that it was just a front?

"I'm not like everyone else, and I could never just abandon you. I've known you for a little a month, and we've already been through more together than anyone I've ever known."

"Same here," Kate agreed with a small smile. Eager to move to a lighter subject, she lifted her hand to stroke Jack's chin. "I think it's time you shave."

He laughed, a little surprised by the abrupt subject change, but understanding that they didn't need to dwell on the heavy stuff. "I'll see if anyone has a razor I can borrow. The one I'd been using is still in my backpack, and I won't be getting to that anytime soon."

"Good," she replied. "It's getting a little long."

"What?" he asked, pretending to be hurt. "You don't like the stubble?"

She rolled her eyes, but laughed. "Find a razor, Jack."

"I'll do that," he told her. "But I think I need to sleep first." He leaned forward to kiss her. "Goodnight."

It took them a while to fall asleep, still not used to their new environment. Waiting until she was sure he was asleep, Kate leaned forward to kiss Jack again, so lightly that their lips barely made contact. She watched his chest rise and fall steadily, and whispered a soft, "I love you."

* * *

Please, Please leave a review. I haven't asked in a while, but I'd really appreciate it. The lack of reviews is making me a little less interested in this story, so then I start to write other things, and then you get slower updates. So, I hate to beg, but, come on? Please? ;


	18. Self Control

_And I know that you want it too  
Cause I see it, like I see through you  
-White Lines and Lipstick, A Change Of Pace  
_

It took Jack a moment to remember where he was upon waking up, a feeling he was becoming all too familiar with. The constant movement was exhausting.

He turned to his side and noticed the space next to him was empty. Sitting up, he also noticed that most of the people around him were awake, sitting and talking in small groups. He quickly spotted Kate talking to Libby, smiling as she looked over at him. Realizing he was awake, she beckoned for him to come over.

"Speak of the devil," Libby said with a bright smile. "Kate was just about to tell me how you popped the question."

"Oh, was she?" he replied, trying to mask his nervousness.

"Yeah," Kate replied. "I already explained how we met."

"It's so cute that you took your niece bowling, even though you hate it," Libby told him.

Avoiding Kate's eyes, Jack tried to suppress a smile. "Yeah, well, she's just crazy about it," he explained. "I can't understand how she finds it fun, but it's all she wanted to do." Finally allowing himself to smile, he directed it at Kate. "It's a good thing I let her talk me into it."

Kate smiled back, and Libby spoke up. "It's nice to see a couple so in love. We need some of that around here; everyone's been so tense."

The two of them tried to hide their bewilderment at being described as 'so in love'.

"Speaking of which, I was just going to ask Kate to go for a walk with me. If you don't mind," he added.

Libby smiled again. "Not at all. Just promise to tell me the story about your engagement when you get back," she told Kate.

"Sure," Kate replied, and the two of them exited the small hatch.

When they were a safe distance away, Jack turned to Kate. "So tell me, how exactly did I propose?" There was a sparkle of amusement in his eye.

"I have no idea," she admitted with a smirk. "I was trying to think of anything I could when you came over and saved me."

"Well you better come up with something soon," he teased, "She'll be wanting details when you get back."

"I better come up with something?" she retorted. "You're the one who proposed."

"Actually, you did," he reminded her with a smile. "Remember, on the beach. If I remember correctly, it was your idea to become engaged."

She pouted, giving him a teasing glare. He leaned over to brush a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "It was a good idea, though."

Before she could reply, his mouth was on hers, kissing her furiously. She responded quickly and eagerly, knowing they would have much less privacy now that they were surrounded by other survivors.

He sucked lightly on her lower lip, and she probed her tongue deeper into his mouth, letting out a soft whimper. Things were quickly becoming heated, and Jack soon felt her reach her hand under his shirt to touch his bare skin. His own hands soon found the bottom of her top, playing around with the hem of her shirt teasingly.

Before he knew what was happening, she was pulling his shirt over his head. But he wasn't complaining, instead helping her remove the garment. Her lips left his mouth to instead plant heated, open mouthed kisses down his chest. His own mouth moved to Kate's shoulder, then inward to trace her collarbone with his tongue.

Somewhere in the distance, a twig snapped, sounding like a shot. Jack and Kate broke apart, suddenly alert. It seemed to be just an animal walking through the jungle, but it was enough to bring them both to their senses. They were suddenly very aware of their surroundings.

"Oh, uh... we should probably get back," Kate suggested.

"Yeah," Jack agreed, looking around for his discarded shirt.

Blushing slightly, Kate pointed to a spot about 15 feet away where the shirt had been tossed. Jack went to retrieve it, giving her a slight, sheepish smile.

It was obvious they both wanted each other, but now was not the time. They should be conversing with their newly acquired living mates, not going at it in the jungle like two hormonal teenagers.

But that thought didn't make the desire go away.

* * *

"Hello," Kate turned to find herself face to face with a large dark skinned man, giving her a small smile. Even smiling he was still intimidating. "My name is Mr. Eko."

"Hi," Kate replied, smiling back at him. She was still slightly dazed from her encounter with Jack in the jungle.

"It's good to know there were other survivors. But Ana Lucia and I were wondering, you didn't happen to make a call and say you were a survivor of Flight 815, did you?"

Kate shook her head, confused. "No, yesterday was the first time we've made contact with any of you."

"Your fiancé, maybe?" he asked. "It was a male voice."

"No," Kate replied, "Jack would have told me about that, and I was with him most of the time."

"Okay," Mr Eko replied. "Thank you anyway."

Just then Ana Lucia walked by. "Greeting the newcomers, Eko?" She turned to Kate. "You're lucky you came when you did, he wasn't much of a talker all that long ago." She smirked at Eko and continued on her way.

"What did she mean by that?" Kate asked.

"Oh, nothing," replied Eko vaguely, giving her one last smile before walking away.

* * *

Ana Lucia had gone to gather firewood again, having never finished the task the day before. While she was gone, not much happened; it was clear she was the leader of this group.

Kate made up some story about how Jack had proposed on a private harbor cruise, and he tried to keep himself from laughing. She was really skilled at coming up with stories, but it was hard not to find it humorous when a blush came to her cheeks as she told them.

Some time after lunch, Jack was approached by an older man who looked slightly desperate, but with a hint of hope in his eyes.

"I'm Bernard," he introduced himself, and Jack vaguely remembered him from Ana's rushed introductions the previous day. "Ana Lucia said that you two survived from the front of the plane. I was just wondering... do you happen to know what happened to the middle section?"

"No, I'm sorry," Jack told him, and saw the man's face fall. "Me and Kate didn't find them."

"Find them? You mean you think that they're alive?" Some of the life returned to Bernard's eyes.

"Oh, I guess none of you know. According to the Others, at least some of the middle section survived. That's where they were bringing us, so I'm assuming there was at least more than what you have here."

Bernard's face broke into a huge grin. "Oh, oh, thank god," he murmured. "It's just that my wife, Rose, she was sitting there. I got up to go to the bathroom, and then we crashed. I though she was dead, or-" he rambled on. He laughed, seeming to catch himself. "If she were here, she'd tell me to stop talking to you and let you get back to your own wife."

Jack smiled. "Fiancée," he corrected him.

Bernard laughed again. "Right. It wouldn't matter to Rose." He walked away looking significantly happier, and Jack found himself wishing and hoping that his wife was alive and well.

Kate came up beside him. "What was that all about?" she asked, her eyes following Bernard.

"His wife was in the middle section. I was telling him that there was a group of them somewhere."

Kate smiled sadly. "If she's not one of them he's going to be devastated," she reminded him.

"Yeah, but at least for now he can hope," Jack replied. His face turned serious, and a thought that had recently occurred to him returned. "I need to tell you something. About Ana Lucia."

Her eyes grew wary. "What?"

"She's a cop," he told her, gauging her reaction. Her eyes widened, but she seemed to compose herself.

"If she hasn't recognized me by now, she probably won't. Besides, it all depends on her department and area," she told him, as well as herself.

"I'm sure you're right," he assured her. "I just wanted to give you a heads up. Just in case."

She nodded. "Thanks."

"And if she does say anything to you, let me know," Jack told her.

"You two seem to know each other pretty well," Kate said, trying her best to sound nonchalant. However, Jack still noticed the flicker of jealousy.

"We just had a drink before the plane ride. I was supposed to go back and have another with her, but I never got a chance." Seeing her unsatisfied look, he added, "And there was this gorgeous and extremely attractive woman sitting beside me, and I just couldn't bear to leave my seat."

She let out a loud laugh, causing a few of the other survivors to shoot them curious looks. "Nice cover," she told him, another giggle escaping.

* * *

Eventually Ana Lucia returned, along with the two others who had accompanied her. They built a strong fire, and everyone ended up around it.

"We've been on this island 44 days," she said gravely. "It doesn't look like rescue is coming, and we know there's a group of people who keep kidnapping us. Well, now we know that there are more survivors."

There was a murmur of excitement through the crowd, as apparently most of them hadn't yet heard the news. Jack noticed out of the corner of his eye that Bernard was beaming.

"Safety in numbers, people. I say that, in a few days, we should head out and try to find these other survivors. Then maybe we can help each other out, and do something about our problems."

There were a number of questions that Ana quickly answered. That night everyone even more excited than they had been at the arrival of Jack and Kate.

What they didn't know was that tomorrow they would have even more to talk about.

* * *

I'm going away for a little over a week, but I'll try and update quicker. For some reason it's been alot easier to write lately, so that's not as much of an empty promise as it seems! :)


	19. We've Got This Down To A Science, Baby

I'm back! I'm sorry for the wait, but as I said, I was on vacation. Then when I came back, I actually had to write this! Anyway, it's longer than usual, so that's what you get for your patience. Hope you enjoy!

* * *

_So lets cut cut cut to the chase  
We need to get get get our story straight  
This is what were hoping  
Covers blown wide open  
We can make a run for it  
We can make a run for it  
We've got this down to a science baby  
Don't be afraid, be very afraid  
We've got this down to a science baby  
We don't make mistakes, we don't intend to make  
-Make A Run For It, Hit the Lights_

It was a normal day. As normal as it could be on a deserted island in the middle of nowhere where people where getting captured left and right. At least, the first half of the day was normal. Until they showed up.

"Jack, Kate, we have a problem," Ana said, speaking quickly.

"What is it?" Kate asked, Ana's tone clearly stating that it was serious.

"Some guy just washed up on the beach. We think he's one of _them_, but he doesn't speak English. He keeps running from us and saying 'Others'. We had him tied up, but..."

"What do you mean, washed up?" Jack asked.

"I don't know, he just came out of the ocean. He keeps yelling 'Michael' and 'Sawyer', which makes me think he's not alone."

"How can we help?" Kate asked.

"Get down on the beach and help round him up. I'll be there soon."

She walked away, shouting to the other survivors, "Does anybody speak Korean?"

Jack and Kate began to walk down to the beach, but were stopped by Mr. Eko. "I don't think you should go down there?"

"Why?" Jack asked impatiently.

"I have a plan," Eko replied vaguely. "Please, just stay here. I'm sure the others will be back shortly."

"What if they need help?" Kate asked.

"That's why I'm going," Eko replied with a small smile, then turned to walk along the path to the beach.

"Should we really stay here?" Kate asked, noting Jack's aggravated expression.

"I don't know...," he trailed off. Then they heard shouts.

"Michael! Sawyer! Others! Others!"

It was clear that Ana Lucia was telling the truth about the man not speaking English. She also seemed to hear, and she almost ran right past them in her hurry to get to the beach.

"What are you doing just standing there?" she snapped. "I thought I said to go down to the beach!"

Kate bit her lip to keep from snapping back a retort. Who was Ana to think she could order them around?

Jack kept a cooler head, and Kate thought she saw him bite back a smile as he saw Kate's frusteration. "Mr. Eko said he had a plan for us, and that we shouldn't go down to the beach."

Ana looked just as confused as they felt. "Why would he say that? I swear, that man makes no sense," she muttered. Then, in a louder tone, "Alright, it sounds stupid, but he usually knows what's best. Stay here, I'm sure we'll be back soon."

She took off at a run, leaving Jack and Kate to watch her retreating form. With a sigh, Kate sank down to sit on a rock. "I hate this," she stated.

"Hate what?" Jack asked, the smile still barely hidden beneath his features.

"Having to stay here! Being told what to do... by them! I want to help." She scowled.

Jack sat next to her, draping an arm over her shoulders. "I know you do," he said with a quiet laugh. "But if Mr. Eko has a plan, we shouldn't screw it up."

"Fine," Kate agreed. "But it better be a good plan."

They waited impatiently, staying quiet in order to hear the others return. Suddenly, Eko walked calmly down the path.

"Follow me," he stated, and the pair reluctantly obeyed. He walked a little ways away, until they were led to a large hole in the ground, covered with an adjustable roof of sticks and leaves.

"What is this?" Kate asked, her eyes widening at the sight of it.

"We had to hold someone in here," Mr. Eko explained. "We are going to put the new arrivals in as well, and I thought it would be a good idea if you went in too."

Jack instinctively stood in front of Kate. "If you think you're locking us up in some pit-"

"No, no," Eko laughed. "I mean, to get information from them. You will pretend that you are also prisoners. That is why I didn't want them to see you on the beach."

"Wait," said Kate, "Them? I thought there was only one."

"He had friends," Eko answered. "You two have had the most experience with these people, so you were naturally the first ones I thought of."

"I'll do it," Jack agreed, "But I don't know about you, Kate. They could be dangerous."

She raised an eyebrow at him "Haven't I been through worse?" she replied.

Jack sighed. "I guess so. Just be careful."

"Thank you," Eko told them, "But we need to hurry, they will be here soon."

Before entering the pit, Jack and Kate had to roll around in the dirt to make it more convincing looking. Once they were sufficiently covered in mud and grass, they lowered themselves into the hole.

"Good luck," Eko told them, and then walked away.

They stood silently, taking in their surroundings. "You know," Kate began, "he could have just tricked us into willingly keeping ourselves trapped."

A small wave of anxiousness passed through Jack's mind, but it quickly vanished. "I don't think so. Besides, where else will they keep the others if they don't come over here?"

The small glimmer of worry faded as they heard approaching footsteps. The rhythm was uneven, caused by what they could only assume were escape attempts. Then, out of nowhere, a man fell from the sky.

"Damn, muchacha, easy there," he scowled, wiping the dirt off his clothes. "Don't you know a bullet wound when you see one?"

"Oh, I see it," Ana replied. "Why do you think I threw you down there so hard?"

The man was quickly followed by two others, who weren't shoved quite as roughly, but still didn't have an easy landing.

"Have a nice stay," Ana Lucia said sarcastically, giving Kate and Jack a tiny nod before heading back to the hatch. They could only assume she was going to join the group and plan their next move.

"Who the hell are you?" asked the blonde man who had spoken earlier. Jack noted angrily that his gaze lingered on Kate, eyeing her up and down.

"I'm Jack, and this is my _fiancée_," he stressed the word, "Kate. We were taken hostage by them a little while ago."

The other man, who had remained unusually quiet, stepped forward. "How did you get on this island?" he asked.

"Plane crash," Kate informed him.

"Oceanic 815?" he replied.

"Yeah," Kate agreed cautiously.

"So were we. This is Sawyer, Jin, and I'm Michael. Do you know who these people are?" he asked.

"No," Jack replied. "We've only been here a few days, and they've just kept us in here."

The other man, Sawyer, finally took his eyes of Kate. He now surveyed the pit, looking for any possible escape route. "No way out?"

"Nope, we tried everything," Jack replied.

Michael stepped forward, eyes locked on the ground. "Hey, you haven't seen a young boy, have you? Ten years old?"

"No," Kate replied, "we haven't seen any children."

The disappointment in Michael's face was evident. He sank to the ground, head in his hands.

Seeing Jack and Kate's confusion, Sawyer explained, "We were on a raft, trying to get off this hell hole. Not too far out we saw a boat, and they took his kid."

He turned to look at Michael, and Jack noticed the bullet hole he had been talking about. "They shot you?"

"Yeah," Sawyer grumbled. "Took the bullet out myself. Can't say the seawater did much to ease the pain."

"Can I look at it?" Jack asked. At Sawyer's look, he added, "I'm a doctor."

Surprisingly, Sawyer's mouth formed a smirk. "So, snagged yourself a doctor?" he asked Kate.

Her gaze turned angry, "Excuse me?"

"Nothin'," Sawyer laughed. "Take as many looks as you want, Doc."

Jack stepped forward to examine the wound, while Kate continued to glare at Sawyer. Who was he to think she would marry someone purely because of their money? If they were actually getting married, that is, she thought with a pang. It wasn't as if she wanted to be married, but the thought of not referring to Jack as her fiancé sent a strange sensation through her.

"You'll have to be careful," Jack was saying, "It could get infected easily."

"Well ain't that just great," Sawyer replied. "I'll try my best."

The third man, Jin, watched with mild interest. He couldn't understand what they were saying, but he watched anyway.

"He doesn't speak any English?" Jack asked.

"He knows a few candid phrases," Sawyer smirked. "But I'll bet he has no idea we're talkin' bout him right now."

"Were there more of you?" Kate asked. "More survivors?" They must have came from the group on the beach, or was there even more survivors that the Others knew about?

"We were in the middle section," Michael said, finally speaking again. "There were about forty of us."

"Oh." Jack tried to act surprised. "But only three of you were on the raft?"

"Four," Michael said quietly. "My son, Walt."

"Right, sorry," Jack replied.

"We were gonna go get help, then bring 'em back to the others," Sawyer explained. "Didn't exactly go as planned." His gaze again locked on Kate. "Could be worse, though," he added, showing off a set of dimples as he smiled, cocking his head to the side.

Jack let out a humorless laugh. "You've really got some nerve," he bit out. "Flirting with my fiancée when I'm only about five feet away."

"Jack," Kate said softly, putting a hand gently on his shoulder. "It's fine. He's wasting his time."

"Aw, you afraid of a little competition?" Sawyer asked, smirking yet again, an expression Jack was quickly getting annoyed by.

"There is no competition," Kate snapped. "Are you insane? We're sitting in a pit in the middle of the jungle floor, being held captive by people who could kill us in a second if they wanted to, and you are flirting with me?"

Sawyer was unaffected by her scolding. "A man's got needs, Freckles."

"Sawyer, stop being an ass," Michael cut in. "Leave the woman alone."

"Sorry, Mikey, didn't mean to upset anybody," Sawyer replied in mock surprise.

Michael ignored him, turning to Jack. "Sorry, man," he said sheepishly. "Sawyer can be a bit of a pain in the ass."

Sawyer just rolled his eyes, taking a seat next to Jin.

"It's fine," Jack replied. "Let's just try and figure out what to do from here."

For the next half an hour, Jack, Kate, and Michael, talked about how they should deal with their captors. Kate couldn't help but note how much easier it was for Jack to lie than it had been before. All the time they spent with Jeff and the Others seemed to have given him some experience.

By the time they were done, Jack and Kate were almost sure that they were telling the truth. They weren't part of the Others, they were really survivors from the middle section of the plane.

At nightfall, they were surprised to see Ana Lucia at the top of the pit. "Jack, Kate," she acknowledged them. "You get anything interesting?"

Shock was written over both Sawyer and Michael's faces. Jin looked confused as well, but that wasn't a very uncommon expression from the man.

"What is she talkin' bout," Sawyer asked angrily.

Ana Lucia threw down a rope for Jack and Kate to climb up, ignoring the man's question. They made their way up out of the pit, and Ana Lucia threw the cover over the top.

"Son of a bitch," they heard Sawyer mumble, as he seemed to figure out what had happened.

Still listening, they heard Michael laugh. "What can you possibly be findin' funny right now?" Sawyer snapped.

"You flirted with one of our captors, and pissed off her boyfriend. If anybody here is getting killed, it's you."


	20. Keep This Promise

_Cause if you jump  
I will jump too  
We will fall together  
From the building's ledge  
Never looking back at what we've done  
We'll say it was love  
Cause I would die for you  
On skyway avenue  
-Skyway Avenue, We The Kings_

Jack, Kate, and Ana Lucia headed back to the hatch, each wrapped in their own thoughts. When they were almost back, Jack broke the silence.

"So, what do you want to know?"

Ana Lucia smiled. "Nothing. I stayed and heard the whole thing. It's a good thing you all talked so loud."

"Then why'd you ask if we got any information?" Jack asked.

Ana Lucia let out a laugh. "I just wanted to screw with them. Make sure they knew that they'd been fooled. Especially the southern one. He's a prick."

Kate nodded. "I couldn't get out of their fast enough."

"Right, I heard that little exchange. Thanks for not killing him, Jack," Ana replied, raising her eyebrows at him.

Jack smile sheepishly. "You should have seen the way he was looking at her."

Kate smiled at him, letting out a soft laugh. "I thought you might attack him any minute, with the look you had in your eyes."

"Like I said, did you notice the way he was looking at you?" Jack stressed, making Kate laugh again at his concern.

"I can take care of myself, Jack," she assured him. "But, the again, I guess I could let you take care of me sometimes too," she added with a small grin.

"Oh, please," Ana Lucia interrupted. "If you're going to go all sexual innuendos on me, at least give me a headstart back to the camp." She smirked at them one last time, then picking up the pace of her walk.

Jack and Kate, however, stopped walking. Kate was blushing slightly, looking at her feet. "That's... uh, that's not what I meant," she said quietly, her embarrasment evident.

Jack reached over to push a stray hair out of her face, slightly amused by her embarrasment. It was moments like these when she seemed so innocent...

Then there were the moments where she was ripping his shirt off while they were making out in the jungle.

He cracked a smile at the thought, and she scowled at him. "Are you laughing at me?"

"No," he told her, then laughed. "Yeah, actually, just a little bit."

"Well, I'm going to have to put a stop to that." And she did, her lips meeting his and halting all laughter as he eagerly responded.

It was their previous encounter all over again. It seemed as if every time they were left alone, their actions got more heated. Jack's shirt was once again tossed to the floor, and Jack worked at Kate's belt buckle, never taking his lips off hers.

Reluctantly, Kate broke away. "I guess we should probably stop," she said softly.

Jack was quiet, then met her eyes. "Should we?"

Her eyes widened. "Are you saying...?" she trailed off, her eyes totally focused on his.

His breathing quickened. "I don't know," he admitted. "I'm not trying to make you do anything you don't want, trust me," he added hastily, in case she got the wrong message.

"I know," she assured him.

"It's just... I, uh, I love you, Kate," he told her, his voice coming out nervously. He knew how she felt about commitment, and love, but he couldn't not tell her. It was the truth.

A smile played at the corner of her lips, and he let out a nervous breath. "Really?" she whispered.

"Really," he replied with more confidence now. "I'm sure of it."

Her smile broadend. "I love you too," she said, much to his shock. He hadn't expected to hear it in return.

"Wow," he said, chuckling nervously.

"I, um, kind of told you before," she smiled. At his confused look, she laughed, adding, "You were asleep."

He smiled back. "Oh."

There was a long silence, but it wasn't akward. They looked each other straight in the eyes, neither one looking away, and neither one making a sound.

That is, until Kate's breath hitched. Her eyes blazing, she launched her body into his, kissing him hard and firmly. Taken aback, Jack stumbled a few steps back, before fully regaining his balance and kissing her with the same amount of passion.

Jack's hands returned to work on her belt buckle, quickly getting it undone. She broke away from the kiss to lift her shirt over her head, her chest rising and falling quickly as her breath quickened.

Jack's lips went to work on her collarbone. She could barely make out the words as he whispered, "You're so beautiful," against her skin.

He lifted her up to get better access to her lips, and she wrapped her legs around his waist. They backed against a tree, Jack still supporting most of her weight in order to not have the tree scratch her back. If it did, Kate didn't notice, as she focused completely on kissing him.

As the kiss deepened, the rest of their clothes joined their shirts on the jungle floor.

"I love you," Kate whispered. "It feels so good to say that... to mean it."

"I love you too," Jack replied softly, meeting her lips again. "I always will."

She smiled sadly. "Don't make promises you can't keep."

Staring her straight in the eyes, Jack repeated, "I always will. I _promise_."

* * *

Walking back to the camp, they tried to ignore Ana Lucia's suspicious, but amused, glances. Luckily, they were quickly interuppted by Bernard.

"Jack, Kate!" He hurried over. "I heard you talked to those guys from the beach. Were they really from the middle section?"

"Yeah," Jack replied, quickly realizing where he was going with this. "They didn't say anything about your wife, but they said there were about forty of them."

Bernard beamed. "So, there's a good chance then, right?" he asked, optimism shining through.

Kate nodded, casting a hopeful smile in his direction.

Then, Ana Lucia walked over. "So, what do we do about them?" Jack asked her.

"I don't know. It seems like they're telling the truth," she admitted begrudgingly. "And here I was, all excited I might have an excuse to shoot the blonde," she mumbled. "He called me sweetcheecks, can you believe it? I'm dragging him across the beach, and he thinks it's time to break out the nicknames!"

Jack and Kate couldn't help but be slightly amused at Ana's outburst. She didn't usually get so worked up.

"Wow, Ana, don't hold back," Kate joked, and Ana Lucia smirked.

"Whatever. But now I actually have to be humane to them. There's no fun on this island."

She stomped away and Kate let out a soft laugh, which quickly turned louder.

"What?" Jack asked in confusion.

Kate bit her lip. "I can think of one fun thing to do on this island," she told him, raising her eyebrows at him.

At that statement, Jack also let out a laugh, her implication clear. "Well, in that case, we can have some more fun anytime you want."

* * *

Against Ana Lucia's will, the group decided that it was okay to let Sawyer, Michael, and Jin out of the pit. However, they were to be watched at all times, a job that Ana eagerly signed up for.

"What, are we all of a sudden getting the VIP treatment?" Sawyer asked when Jack, Kate, Ana Lucia, and Mr. Eko went to retrieve them. "We actually get to come out of this hole in the ground?"

"Don't make me re-think my decision," Ana Lucia threatened.

"I ain't afraid of you," Sawyer scoffed.

"You should be," Ana warned, "And you will be."

"We want you to lead us back to where your group is," Jack explained. "We think it will be better if everyone gets together.

"You all can go," Michael told them, "I'm going to get my boy back."

"You won't get far alone," Jack reminded him. "There's lots of them, and it won't be easy. If you take us back to your people, we can send out a group to help you."

Michael could think of no argument. "Fine," he agreed.

Jin looked around, confused by the sudden change in plans. "It's okay," Michael assured him.

"Wait just one second here," Sawyer interrupted. "How do we know you ain't the ones snatchin' people left and right?"

"Well, I guess you're just gonna have to take our word for it," Ana Lucia snapped.

"You saw the people that took your son, Michael," Kate added. "You won't see any of them here. Jack and I were taken by them too, we just met up with all of these people about a week ago. You can trust us," she stressed to him.

"Okay," he agreed, but Kate had to wonder if he would believe anything in order to get his son back.

When they reached the camp, people all came rushing forward at once. They all had questions, but Jack was looking for someone in particular.

"Bernard!" He waved the older man over. "Hey, come here."

Bernard cam rushing over, and Jack pulled Michael aside. "I think he has a question for you."

He walked away to rejoin Kate, but he couldn't help but over hear Bernard's excited exlaims of "Oh! Oh, thank god! You're sure? Thank you, thank you!"

Kate smiled up at Jack. "I take it his wife is alive."

"Yeah," he agreed. "Good thing. He deserves it."

They walked off to the side, not really that interested in the questions the rest of the group had. "So, we finally get to meet the rest of them," Kate noted.

"I don't think any of them can top the first person I met," he replied, making Kate laugh and tilt her head up to kiss him. Unfortunatly, Sawyer happened to be walking by them at that exact moment.

"Get a room," he mumbled.

Instead of getting jealous, this time Jack just felt amused. It was as if so much had changed since just that morning, and he knew what it was. Kate loved him. With that knowledge, he could face anything.

* * *

Okay, there was your fluff for the day. Hope you enjoyed it!


	21. The Name Game

This took a ridiculously long time to write and I'm sorry. But it's September, and everything always gets hectic. Plus I've had a lack of good ideas. I have two ideas that I'm really excited about for new stories, but I'll finish this one first. Promise. So please, please leave a review. I'll seriously update faster if you do.

Oh, and I'd feel worse about taking so long if there wasn't a lack of jate udpates recently. It's been wierd.

_

* * *

Stay for a moment and  
I promise that I will be different  
and you'll see me  
Wait, Wait  
And I'll show you  
There is more to this if you will listen  
And you'll soon believe  
-Headlines Read Out, We The Kings_

"Would you stop doin' that?" Sawyer's voice broke through the silence. "There's no reason you need 'ta keep that gun on me. How do you know Zu Fong over there won't make a break for it, or try and kill you all?"

Jin looked up obliviously, and Sawyer shook his head.

"Beacuse," Ana Lucia began, "You annoy the hell out of me. So you should know, I'm just looking for an excuse to add to your bullet hole collection."

Jack laughed, and Sawyer shot him a glare. The rest of the group trudged on, following Michael's lead back to the other survivor's camp.

"So, Freckles," Sawyer began, turning to Kate. "I have to ask. What exactly do you see in the doc over here? You already said it wasn't the money, so I was just wonderin'. You know, for future reference."

Kate sighed, and noticed out of the corner of her eye that Jack was clenching his fist. "For starters, he doesn't ask me things like that."

"I'll keep that in mind," Sawyer retorted.

They soon stopped for a rest, and Jack and Kate sat on a log slightly off the path from everyone else. She followed Jack's gaze, and noticed he was glaring at Sawyer.

She smiled. "He's just trying to get to you," she reminded him, and he nodded.

"I know. I just wish Ana would make good on her promise and shoot him already."

Kate laughed as she stepped up from the log, reaching out her hand to help Jack up. He took it, and they walked back to the group. Jack couldn't help but feel surprised when she kept his hand even after they had reached the others.

"Are we getting close?" Ana Lucia asked Michael.

"Yeah, I think so," he replied.

"You _think_ so?" Ana Lucia said slowly. "You better not think you know where we're going, you better be sure of it."

"Yeah, I know where we are," Michael retorted. "I just don't remember the exact distance between here and the camp."

"Fine," Ana Lucia snapped, "Let's move."

So they did, walking through the rest of the day without much incident, only the occasional death threat from Ana to Sawyer. When night fell, they decided to make camp and continue on the next morning.

Jack and Kate picked a spot once again a small ways from the group, laying out the blankets they had brought with them from the camp.

"It's going to be weird," Kate whispered softly.

"What is?" Jack asked.

"Being with over forty people. It was just us for so long, and then even with the Others and with Ana's group, we still had time to ourselves. Will we still be able to do that?"

Jack leaned over to kiss the top of her head. "We will. We'll make sure of it. I'm sure they won't need us every second of the day."

She let out a contented sigh, leaning in closer to him. "You're right."

They continued to lie awake, neither of them able to slip off into sleep. "Jack," Kate whispered, "Can I ask you a question?"

"Yeah," he replied just as quietly.

"This is going to sound pretty random," she warned. "But, when did you know you wanted to be a doctor?"

"I've told you before, Kate," he reminded her. "It's just been kind of a family thing. My dad-"

"Yeah, you did say that," she told him, her face scrunched a little in thought. "But I don't think you would do something just because your dad wanted you too."

Jack was silent for a while, and then replied. "Yeah, you're right. I guess I've just always said it was my dad because that's what everyone expected me to say."

She smiled, glad that she had in fact read him right. "So why'd you do it?"

"When I was sixteen, I still thought I was going to be a surgeon, but I didn't want to. I just didn't know what else to do. Then, this girl in my class... she died because of a complication from a surgery. I just knew then, that I wanted to stop it from happening to other people."

Kate placed a hand on his arm, and he smiled at her. Then the smile transformed into a frown.

"It wasn't until later that I found out who her surgeon was."

Kate felt her stomach drop. "Who?" she asked, even thought she was sure she knew the answer.

"My dad," he replied roughly. "He told me when I was in college. Turns out it really was because of my dad that I became a surgeon. Because of his mistake."

Sensing his pain, she leaned forward to kiss him gently. "I'm sorry I asked," she told him. She hadn't thought that the question would upset him.

His brow furrowed. "I'm not," he replied. "It feels good to tell somebody."

"Well, in that case," she paused to once again meet his lips, "I'm glad you told me." She kissed him again, and didn't pull away this time.

Jack deepened this kiss, and he could feel her smile against him. He rolled so that he was on top of her, leaning on his arms to support his weight. She let out a little sigh of contentment, and his hands reached under her shirt.

She opened her eyes lazily, watching as his hands lowered to her pants. "Jack," she whispered, a giggle escaping her lips.

"What?" He voice was muffled against her.

"We can't do this now. We're only about twenty feet from Jin and Sawyer," she reminded him.

It didn't seem to faze him. "So?"

"So," she replied, trying not to laugh again. "They'll hear us."

This time she could feel his smile. "So?"

"Jack!" She hit him playfully on the shoulder. "Goodnight!"

He placed one more kiss on her lips before returning to his side of the blanket. "Goodnight, Kate."

* * *

The next morning they were led by a grumpy Ana-Lucia, who hadn't slept much last night. Apparently she hadn't slacked off on guard duty.

"We better be almost there," she said icily to Michael, who looked scared that he would make the wrong move to upset her. Nobody particularly wanted her to snap.

"It won't be long now," he assured her.

One of the survivors, whose name neither Jack nor Kate could think of at the moment, could clealy sense the tension in the air.

"Hey, why don't we play the name game?" she asked.

The group could almost feel Ana's annoyance.

"The _name_ _game_?" she practically hissed.

"Yeah, you know, my name is Abbey and I like apples. That kind of thing. You must have played it in school, you know, first day. I do it all the time with my first graders."

Jack and Kate exchanged a look, but Abbey clearly didn't feel everyone else's lack of enthusiasm.

She turned to Sawyer. "Why don't you go first?"

Kate thought that Sawyer's eyes would practically bulge out of his head. He recovered quickly. "My name's Sawyer and I like people who don't suggest stupid activities while stranded in the middle of a freakin' island!"

Abbey just laughed. "You're doing it wrong. The thing you like has to start with the first letter of your name. Come on, try again."

Sawyer scowled. Jack had to wonder if this woman could take a hint.

"My name's Sawyer and I like sex."

Abbey's face went black, and then she nodded. "Okay, that's a new one. Don't hear that alot from the first graders. Umm, how about you?"

Jack had to suppress a laugh as Jin just stared at the woman. "Huh?"

"You know, maybe this isn't such a good idea," Abbey said, then headed back to the end of the group.

"Someone ought to tell that woman she should keep her mouth shut," Sawyer grumbled.

"Oh, she was just trying to be nice," Libby replied.

"Yeah, well maybe I don't like 'em nice," Sawyer told her, showing off a set of dimples.

"Shut up," Ana interrupted.

"See, neither does Little Miss Ray of Sunshine over here," Sawyer smirked.

"Do you ever stop talking?" Kate asked.

Sawyer turned his attention on her. "Hey, I don't wanna hear no complainin' from you. Do you realize how hard it is to get to sleep when you're making out with your boy toy a few yards away? It's a little distractin'."

Kate pinked, and Jack sighed. "Shut up, Sawyer."

"I second that," Ana Lucia grumbled.

"Why have you got such a big problem with me?" Sawyer asked her. "I ain't done nothin' to you."

"You're an ass," Ana replied simply.

"Nah," Sawyer replied. "You want me," he smirked. "And you're mad as hell about it."

"Where in the hell…?" Ana's voice rose, "The only place I want you is in a hole six feet under," she growled.

Sawyer just smirked again, and then headed further back into the group. Ana was fuming, so Jack and Kate followed his lead and left her area, but in a different direction.

"I hope we get there soon," Kate mumbled. "I can't stand much more of either of them at this point."

"I know the feeling," Jack agreed. "Plus, the sooner we get there, the sooner we can…" he didn't finish; instead he lifted his lips to hers, kissing her hard on the mouth and leaving her breathless and taken completely by surprise.

He broke the kiss and started to walk back towards the group, who had moved up a little during their brief pause. Looking back, he saw that she hadn't yet moved. He laughed amusedly at her. "Come on, Kate, you're holding up the group," he teased with a wink.

* * *

Next chapter: They meet up with the middle section survivors, but will things be that same? Nope. Without Jack and Kate around, there are alot of things that would have gone differently.

Leave a review and maybe I won't kill off your favorite! :)


	22. Destruction

Long chapter! And just remember, the way the story has changed will affect the other survivors as well!

* * *

_But this charade is  
never going to last.  
So pick the poison  
and pour yourself  
a glass.  
-Coppertone, The Academy Is..._

"We're here."

The words weren't necessary. It was obvious that they had finally reached the middle section. There were tarps hanging from the trees, showing signs of life, and best of all, there were people.

A Korean woman came running at them, yelling incoherently in her native tongue. One word was able to be made out. "Jin!"

She was soon followed by the rest of the group. The three who returned from the raft were greeted with open arms. Well, two of them were. Sawyer received smiles and hellos.

Jack and Kate stood on the outer limit of the group, along with the rest of the tail section. The others soon noticed them, and eyed them warily.

"Who are they?" asked a blonde man, probably British by the sound of his accent. He was heavily bandaged, and bruising could be seen even on the uncovered spots.

"They're from the back of the plane," Sawyer informed them. "And the front," he added, eyeing Jack and Kate.

Bernard stepped forward, looking troubled. "Rose? I thought...? Is there a woman here, named Rose?"

Jack's heart sank, realizing that the man's wife was missing.

Another man, this one Middle Eastern, stepped forward, eyes wide. "You're not her husband, are you?"

"Yes. Yes, I am," Bernard replied. "Is she..." He obviously couldn't finish his sentence.

"Hold on," the man replied, and then went off. "Oh, and she's not dead, if that's what you're asking," he added over his shoulder.

Bernard let out a huge puff of air. "Oh God..."

While he was gone, the British man approached Kate, wincing as he walked. "Hi, I'm Charlie," he told her. "I've got to ask, do any of you have medical supplies? We're running a bit low, which could be a bit of a problem what with our lack of anyone with any medical skills whatsoever."

Kate beamed, turning to Jack. "We don't have any supplies, but we've got a surgeon. Will that help?"

Charlie broke into a huge grin. "You better not be joking."

Jack stepped forward. "I'm Jack, and this is Kate. And no, she's not joking."

"Oh, oh, this is great! Well, not for you. You're going to have your work cut out for you," he said, his smile drooping a little. "What with Claire, Aaron, oh, and now Shannon."

Jack and Kate exchanged a glance, wondering what could have happened to all of these people. "What about you?" Kate asked.

Charlie looked surprised. "Me? Oh, I'm the least of your worries. I'm functional, everything's still attached," he tried to joke. "Anyway-"

They were interrupted by a large sob coming from the right. "Rose!" exclaimed Bernard, rushing forward to a woman who could only be his wife. Her face was blank at first, but it soon transformed into utter shock once she realized who was hugging her.

"Bernard?" she whispered. She then seemed to collect herself. "Well, it certainly took you long enough."

Bernard laughed through the tears that were flowing freely now. "I know, honey, I know."

The Middle Eastern man joined Jack, Kate, and Charlie. He looked relieved. "That's the first thing she's said since two days after we crashed."

Charlie nodded. "Bloody silent," he added.

"I assume you've already met Charlie. I'm Sayid," the man said, extending a hand to Jack then Kate.

"Sayid!" Charlie piped in. "He's a doctor!"

The look of relief became more prominent on Sayid's face. "We are going to have much use for you," he said.

Ana Lucia walked over, sensing she was missing something important. She introduced herself, and then got straight down to business, taking Sayid aside to talk about their time on the island.

Charlie was left to show them to the injured. His face quickly became solemn, all spunk gone. "I don't like going in here..."

He led them to a tent, larger than the others, and hesitantly pushed the flap aside. There were a few makeshift beds on the floor, but only one of them was occupied. "Oh, no," Charlie muttered, and then ran outside the tent.

"We have a problem!" he yelled. "Who the hell was supposed to be in here?" He seemed to remember. "Paulo!"

A dark-haired man stepped forward. "I came to see what was going on," he explained. "I wasn't gone long."

"You were gone long enough for Shannon to get out!" he exclaimed.

Sayid's head snapped up from where he was talking to Ana. "Shannon's gone?"

"Yes, gone!" Charlie replied.

Sayid stood before the survivors. "Everyone, start looking! She couldn't have gotten very far. Now!"

"Who's Shannon?" Jack asked as all the survivors took off in different directions, Sayid in the lead. "And what's wrong with her? Is she dangerous?"

Charlie shook his head. "Only to herself. Her brother died about a week and a half ago, and she kind of lost it a few days ago. Sayid found her trying to slit her wrists that first day, and she swore she wouldn't try it again. Then we found her searching through the medicine. You get the idea."

Kate nodded. "She's trying to kill herself."

"Yeah. She's not exactly the type you'd expect either." He led them around the camp as he talked, only after making sure Paulo returned to the infirmary tent to watch the other inhabitant. "But she feels guilty, since she wasn't here when Boone died. Then she said she started seeing Michael's son, and-" His eyes narrowed. "Wait a minute. Where is Walt? He wasn't there!"

"He got taken," Jack told him, "by the others."

Charlie exhaled slowly. "Bloody hell. When?"

"Off the raft," Jack explained. "You'll have to ask Michael or Sawyer. I don't know much about it."

"Right, were you two from the front of the plane?" He stopped to peek inside a tent. Apparently there were no suicidal women inside, so he moved on. "Because we searched it a few days after the crash, and it was empty. Well, except for, you know, bodies."

Kate glanced at Jack. "If we had just stayed a little longer..."

It was frustrating that they had missed their fellow survivors by a few hours, but Jack couldn't help but be only mildly disappointed. If they had been found so early, would he and Kate still have grown as close?

"At least we're here now," he replied. Turning to Charlie, he asked, "If Shannon hasn't actually done anything harmful to herself yet, why is she being kept in the tent?"

"Well, that's the only reason she hasn't done anything. We've had someone in there constantly. It's been bad without a doctor. We all take shifts watching over the sick, and if something bad happens we call for help. Everyone tries to help." Charlie's face fell. "Except lately, nobody wants to do it. Shannon's been trying her hardest to get away the second you turn your back, and Aaron's days are numbered."

Kate felt a wave of sadness. Charlie sounded so defeated, like all hope was lost.

They came to another tent, and Charlie lifted the flap. In a second, he was dashing inside towards a skinny blonde girl surrounded by overturned luggage. "Shannon!" he exclaimed.

Her eyes widened, and she dropped the razor that she had been holding to her wrist. Jack quickly noticed that she had had time to make a deep cut, which was bleeding profusely.

"Shannon, come on. Why are you doing this?" Charlie asked, picking up the razor and putting it in his pocket.

Shannon ignored him, her eyes focused on Jack and Kate. "Who are they?" she asked.

"Jack and Kate. They were survivors too, they just landed in a different area," Charlie explained. He threw a look at Jack. "Can you do something about her wrist?"

"Yeah." Jack stepped forward to gently raise her arm. She flinched, glaring at him.

"What are you, a doctor or something?" she spat.

"Actually, yeah. I am a doctor," he replied. Addressing Charlie, he asked, "Do you have anything I can wrap this with back at the medical tent?"

Charlie nodded. "I'm sure there's something. Let's go."

They all stood up, except Shannon. "No. No!" she screamed. "Don't make me go back there. All I do is just sit there and think about Boone. And then when I sleep, all I see is Walt. I can't take it anymore!"

"It's okay," Kate said softly. "We can help you."

"You can't help me," Shannon sobbed. "No one can help me."

Kate took her uninjured arm and led her out of the tent, Jack and Charlie following behind.

"Shannon!" Sayid came running up towards her, taking her into his arms. Shannon stood limply, returning the half-heartedly, arms around his neck. Sayid pulled back, grabbing her arm. "What have you done?"

"Just leave me alone," she said softly.

They took her back to the medical tent, and Jack bandaged her arm. She only struggled slightly, then gave in. Meanwhile, Kate followed Charlie over to the blonde woman in the corner.

"Claire, this is Kate," he announced, and Claire gave her a weak smile. "There are people here, from the other end of the plane."

"Hi," she said softly. "There are more survivors? I thought it was only us."

"Nope. Jack and I were in first class, and then there's the tail section just outside," she told the girl. She couldn't help but notice how pale Claire was, and how extremely fragile she looked.

"Claire," Charlie began, "Guess what! They've got a doctor!"

It wasn't until they got closer that they realized Claire was crying. Tears flowed down her cheeks, silent but continuous. "It's too late, Charlie."

"No," he replied in a hushed whisper. "It's not."

Jack and Kate exchanged a confused glance. A tiny whimper came from the bundle of blankets next to Claire. Her face crumpled, as she reached over to stroke the tiny baby's face.

"His pulse... it's so slow. He's not moving, he's barely breathing... it's just too late."

Charlie's face relayed panic. "Jack," he said desperately, "You have to help."

"I'll see what I can do," Jack agreed, walking towards the baby. As he lifted him out of the blankets, he let out another soft sound. "Just... uh, don't get your hopes up."

He didn't want to say it, but the baby looked hopeless. His breathing was ragged, and he looked as if he was only about three pounds.

"Claire, why don't we take a walk," Charlie suggested. "You haven't been out of here in so long, you should get some air."

"Fine," she agreed, casting a look back at her son. She let Charlie lead slowly out of the tent.

Kate glanced around the room and noticed that Shannon was gone as well, then remembered that Sayid had taken her to talk. She also noticed that Paulo had wandered off again.

"Jack..." Kate whispered, trailing off, shaking her head.

"I know," he replied, wrapping an arm around her and kissing her forehead.

* * *

There's more. If you think hard enough, you can probably figure out another bad thing that has happened. Or more than one. But don't worry, there will still be jate!


End file.
